Tom Aspinall Hits Old-School Gypsy Training for UFC 304

Tom Aspinal

Tom Aspinall Hits Old-School Gypsy Training for UFC 304 Against Curtis Blaydes

As the clock ticks down to July 27th, all eyes are on Tom Aspinall as he prepares for his highly anticipated fight against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304. This isn’t just any fight for Aspinall, it’s a monumental moment in his career. As he gets the chance to defend his UFC heavyweight intermin title in his hometown of Manchester. In a recent interview on The MMA Hour, Aspinall revealed a unique and deeply personal approach to his training - he’s going back to his gypsy roots.

“You ever see the documentary Knuckle? You familiar with that?” Aspinall asked during the interview. “It’s a documentary about travelers, traveling communities in the UK island. And there’s a guy on there, big Joe Joyce, an old traveling legend, and big Joe Joyce reveals a few gypsy methods for getting ready for a fight. I wanted to resort back to a bit of gypsy heritage that I’ve got, so I thought, right, what I’m going to do is I’m going to make a little ring out of hay bales. When it gets to about 4 a.m., I get my alarm on, I go outside, do a bit shadowboxing in the hay bales — and then I do the old traveler method of dipping your knuckles in petrol for about 20 minutes as the sun’s coming up, and that hardens your knuckles. These are some of the hardest knuckles in the UFC right here right now. They're like rocks."

Aspinall’s decision to incorporate these traditional methods is more than just a nod to his heritage; it’s a testament to his determination and unique approach to training. The hay bales, early morning shadowboxing, and petrol-dipped knuckles are a stark contrast to the high tech gyms and advanced training methods many UFC fighters use today. This return to roots is a blend of mental toughness and physical conditioning, aiming to forge a fighter who is as tough as the legends of old.

“This is a massive fight for me, both professionally and personally,” Aspinall shared. “When I got into the sport of MMA, which is quite a fair portion of my life ago now, this is why I got into it. All of this. There’s a lot of people out there trying to get to their dreams and get to their goals in life. This is the goal. This is the dream. This is it. In two weeks’ time, this is the dream - defending a UFC heavyweight title in my home city of Manchester in front of 25,000 Manchester fans is something that, probably half a percentage of the world gets to live the dream on this level and I’m not talking about just fighting, I’m just talking about people with dreams and goals in general. No matter what happens on that day, I did it and I experienced it, and my whole life’s been leading up to this point.”

Aspinall’s journey is one of resilience, tradition, and an unwavering pursuit of his dreams. As he steps into the octagon on July 27th, backed by the roaring support of his hometown fans, he brings with him not just his modern skills and training, but also the indomitable spirit of his gypsy roots. It’s a fight that promises to be as memorable for its cultural significance as for its physical showdown.

As the UFC 304 approaches, the world watches in anticipation, ready to witness Tom Aspinall bring the old school to the new era, embodying the strength and tradition of his heritage while aiming for glory in the heart of Manchester. Fight.TV is here for it!