Tom Aspinall Jon Jones vs. Cyril Gayne in UFC Heavyweight Title Fight | “I’ve got what it takes to beat Jon Jones” | MMA news

Tom Aspinall is almost done with his injury recovery and is intent on chasing the UFC heavyweight title.

The Salford fighter is believed to be the man to topple Jon Jones, who returns to the Octagon after a three-year absence on Saturday.

“I think I have what it takes to win it. If there’s anybody in the division that has what it takes to win it, I think it’s me,” Aspinall said. Sky Sports News.

“I want to beat Jon Jones first. That would be something.

“If you don’t think you can beat the greatest fighter, then why are you in the sport?” I try to be the greatest. So, I try to do the same. And if not, I tried. “I think a lot of people are afraid to do that,” he added.

“A lot of people are afraid to say those things and put themselves forward and really go for their dreams. I do. I think more people should respect that. Most people don’t. wants to try his dreams.”

But Aspinall admitted on Saturday there was no certainty that Jones would beat Cyril Gaines in a UFC title fight.

“I think it could go either way. This is heavyweight MMA at the highest level. The craziest episode of the world’s most unpredictable sport. You never know,” Aspinall said.

“I think a lot of people forget about Cyril Gein. He is very good. He is very skilled. He has a unique style for a heavyweight, which is he’s really mobile, he’s very well balanced, he’s very good on the feet.

“Once Jon Jones gets into a rhythm and gets comfortable, he starts to shut people down completely. He (Gain) has to keep him moving, he has to be very good, he has to keep him guessing all the time, not because he is comfortable.

“But we’re talking about Jon Jones. We’re talking about one of the best fighters to ever grace the Octagon. How does he feel about heavyweights? We don’t know. But I wouldn’t be surprised either way. , that’s for sure.”

Aspinall suffered a freak knee injury 15 seconds into his last fight in July, but is now back in action.

“I feel happy and can exercise with both legs and do what I love every day. Being able to get out of positions that I couldn’t do before, balance on one leg and move in a way that I haven’t been able to do in a long time because it’s a chronic injury. he said.

“I feel like I had another good race,” Aspinall continued. “I feel like I can aim for the title now. I used to have a knee injury on my mind. It was like a big secret. Now it’s over, it’s fixed.”

He hopes this race will lead him to Jones.

“I think I need some practice before I can beat him, I’m not getting ahead of myself,” he said, but added: “I’m trying here. I think that should be respected.”

He warns: “I haven’t shown what I can do in my fights. I can do more than I show and I keep no secrets to myself. Nothing like that. My time in the Octagon was so short that I didn’t get to show a lot of things that I was really good at.

He expects to compete again in Europe in the second half of this year.

“I want to fight someone in the top 10. This is non-negotiable. I don’t want to fight someone who is 10 ranks below me. “I think anyone in the top 15 can fight any day,” he said.

“There is no big difference in skill between us, we are all at the same skill level. I prefer to fight higher ranked guys. But at the end of the day, it’s all dangerous at 15.

“On the trajectory we’re on, I’m sure (Sergei) Spivak and I will fight again at some point.” But I knocked him out in two and a half minutes in a year. So I don’t think it makes sense right now.

“Even though I thought he was very good, I thought he was very good when I fought him. I broke my streak when I fought him and he’s been on a streak ever since. I don’t think this fight makes sense right now. Basically we’re looking at (Marcin) Tibura or (Thai) Tuivasa, I think.

“I’m happy anyway. I don’t want to run away from anyone in this sport, I’m trying to be the best in the world. So whoever is free, I will take them.’