Tom Aspinall has admitted he would like to face former Junior heavyweight champion dos Santos as he seeks an immediate return to the Octagon.
The 27-year-old from Wigan received his third stoppage in as many UFC fights as he smothered Andrei Arlovski within the second spherical of his Las Vegas debut at UFC Apex.
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Aspinall desires to battle former UFC Junior champion dos Santos subsequent
Aspinall has all of the bodily and technical attributes to change into the corporate's subsequent heavyweight celebrity, with UK followers hoping to observe in legend Michael Bisping's footsteps.
After sending Arlovski off with one eye after a freak accident left him briefly blinded, Apsinall pursues one other former champion as he continues his spectacular rise via the ranks.
He advised talkSPORT: “These days they all the time push you to name somebody and whenever you do they do not even provide the battle!
“I would really like somebody like Dos Santos or Ben Rothwell, somebody like that who's a veteran that I can study issues from.
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Junior dos Santos received the UFC heavyweight title in 2011 in opposition to Cain Velasquez
2020 Chris Unger
The victories have been tougher to acquire since
“You know what? It's actually good to battle somebody you've got been watching for so a few years as effectively. Just for me, it is simply sentimental for me to battle somebody just like the one I've been watching for years.
“It actually units me aside [the Dos Santos fight] as a result of I've all the time cherished watching him and I believe he has a extremely good fashion and he is a former champion.
“He appears to be a little bit on a step proper now, however whenever you're a former champion like that, it does not actually matter. I might like to battle him largely as a result of I'm a huge fan myself, however I might love that.
Despite dropping his final 4 fights, a win over Dos Santos would nonetheless symbolize one other huge scalp for Aspinall within the UFC.
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Tom Aspinall smothered Andrei Arlovski in second spherical of UFC heavyweight conflict
Despite having solely 12 fights in his skilled MMA profession, the former skilled boxer has been getting ready for an assault on the UFC heavyweight panorama for many years.
Thanks to his father's steering and inspiration, Andy, the 6ft 5in bruiser is a well-rounded fighter. Aspinall BJJ is one thing he was raised with, whereas Colin Heron's affect at Team Kaobon in Liverpool is obvious to all.
And the younger heavyweight sensation loves having his dad with him round each step of the way in which.
“Without my dad, I wouldn't have even started training,” he continued.
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Aspinall poses alongside his father Andy (left) and coach Colin Heron (proper)
“I would not really feel snug preventing with out my dad there; possibly it'll occur sometime, but it surely has by no means occurred earlier than and I do not understand how snug I might be.
“But it has been completely nice as a result of he is been there from the beginning and he can be there till the tip.
Saturday evening's victory earned Aspinall a $ 50,000 “Performance of the Night” bonus from the UFC in recognition of his unimaginable achievements.
However, Apsinall stays as humble as ever regardless of the success and won't be spending their hard-earned cash on luxurious fits or sports activities vehicles simply but.
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The 27-year-old from Wigan continues to be as humble as we speak as when he began preventing virtually twenty years in the past.
He stated, “Even although I'm in UFC now and getting paid effectively, I nonetheless expertise precisely the identical as after I was actually skint!
“All the garments I put on are stuff folks gave me, so I have not purchased new garments in ages. I've one automobile, I even have two vehicles so I do not know, I actually do not want something!
“I similar to having it there for the longer term. I'm planning to maneuver elsewhere as a result of I nonetheless dwell in a bit troublesome space so I would like to maneuver someplace a bit nicer. But we are going to see.
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