Tom Aspinall has a score to settle with Curtis Blaydes at their UFC 304 clash on July 27. While the former won his interim heavyweight title in style last year, his next fight maybe even more significant for the Englishman. This is not to say that the UFC stars have any animosity or bad blood between them, far from it. The genuine respect between them is palpable and clear from their amicable interactions at the UFC 304 pre-fight press conference.

However, Curtis ‘Razor’ Blaydes is the only man to whom Aspinall has lost in his pro-MMA career. The Englishman blew his knee in the first fifteen seconds of their clash and suffered a TKO loss to the American. Now, he is hoping to avenge the only loss of his career on his home turf of Manchester, England. Ahead of the bout, whose winner has been promised a shot at undisputed champ Jon Jones, let us take a look at how the contenders and their records stack up against each other head to head.

How does Tom Aspinall’s record stack up to Curtis Blaydes’

Both Curtis Blaydes and Tom Aspinall turned pro in the same year- 2014, after an undefeated five-fight stint in the amateur circuit. However, the American was much earlier to the UFC, having his first fight in the Dana White-led promotion in April 2016, while Aspinall followed four years later in 2020.

Blaydes is also notably more experienced than the interim champ, with an overall record of 18-4, to Aspinall’s 14-3. In the UFC, the difference is more pronounced as the American has 17 fights there, of which he has won 13. On the other hand, Aspinall is a relative newcomer with 8 UFC appearances under his belt, winning all but one of them, which he lost due to a freak injury.

In terms of the manner of their victories, eight of Blaydes’ thirteen wins have come via knockout, with the other five being decision wins. Aspinall, on the other hand, has five knockout wins in the Dana White-led promotion and one decision victory and thus has a better finish rate than Blaydes.

Tom Aspinall and Curtis Blaydes height, reach, weight, age: A comparison

There is not much size difference between the 31-year-old Tom Aspinall and 33-year-old Curtis Blaydes. While the interim champion stands at an impressive 6’5″, Blaydes himself cuts an imposing figure at 6’4″. This slight height difference is inverted when it comes to their reach as ‘Razor’, with his 80″ reach outdoes his opponent with a two-inch reach advantage to his 78″.

Because they fight in the UFC’s heaviest division, they don’t have to cut much weight to make the divisional limit of 270 pounds. This is why both fight near their walk-around weight, with Aspinall weighing in at 251 pounds (10 lbs less than his usual fighting weight of 261) and Blaydes ticking the scale up to 256 pounds, per usual, for their UFC 304 clash.

What are your predictions for UFC 304?