UFC London: Tom Aspinall thrusts himself into heavyweight title mix with stunning first-round sub of Alexander Volkov
TOM ASPINALL punched his ticket to UFC heavyweight title contention with a stunning victory in the promotion’s long-awaited return to London.
The Wigan Warrior blew the roof off the O2 Arena with a marquee victory over Russian Alexander Volkov in the main event of UFC Fight Night 204.
Aspinall, 28, catapulted himself to the upper echelons of the division with a first-round submission of ‘Drago’ – his fifth since entering MMA’s elite promotion two years ago.
And he could very well be just one fight away from competing for the heavyweight title.
UFC president Dana White told SunSport this week: “He’ll break right into the top-six with a win.
“And then, you’re looking at fights with Derrick Lewis, Curtis Blaydes, Tai Tuivasa and Ciryl Gane.
“He would work his way up, he wouldn’t just pop right up and walk right into a title shot. But it’s a big deal, this is a big fight.
“This is a major fight for him at the O2 in London, in his home country against a top-six guy in the world. It’s a big deal.”