Fight fans have been anticipating an update on UFC heavyweight Tom Aspinall since he busted his knee last Saturday, and the Englishman finally shared one.
In a video he posted to social media on Thursday, Aspinall said that he would be receiving an MRI on the weekend and undergoing knee surgery next week. He said that his knee was still too swollen to receive a scan, but his surgeon had a “rough idea” of what the injury was.
Aspinall headlined the promotion’s event in London on July 23, and he was prepared to stamp himself as a bonafide top contender by taking out longtime top-five heavyweight Curtis Blaydes. But, that’s not what happened.
Within 15 seconds of the opening frame, the fight was called off by the referee after Aspinall hurt his knee. The Englishman cleanly connected with a leg kick, but as he pulled back and put pressure on his leg, he collapsed in agony.
Aspinall’s undefeated run in the UFC was snapped via TKO and his professional mixed martial arts record fell to 12-3.
Aspinall Said He Has Been ‘Down in the Dumps’ Since Saturday
In the video, Aspinall shared the information about his upcoming MRI scan, as well as his feelings since the injury at the O2 Arena in London.
“Hello everyone, just a quick update on the knee situation because plenty of people are asking about the diagnosis and what happened to the knee,” Aspinall said. “Now, anybody who’s got knee problems knows that in order to have an MRI scan, an accurate MRI scan, you need to let the swelling go down. So, I spoke to the surgeon.
“We have a rough idea of what it is, but we are currently waiting for the swelling to go down. And I will be having the scan this weekend and having surgery early next week in London.”
“So, just want to say a massive thank you to everyone who’s reached out. Obviously, I’ve been offline. Been down in the dumps since Saturday night, but hopefully we’ll get it fixed, get the surgery early next week. Thank you.”
Blaydes Was ‘Frustrated’ With the Win, Didn’t Know What Happened
Although it wasn’t the way he wanted it, Blaydes left the Octagon as the headlining victor. Speaking with the media at the post-fight press conference, “Razor” shared his frustration with the bout, as well as his confusion about what happened.
“I have no idea what happened,” Blaydes said via MMA Junkie. “He landed the kick, I went to counter, he dropped. That’s all I know.
“I’m frustrated. No one wants to win like that. I get the win, I hold my ranking. I get the money, but without a highlight, did it even happen? Did the fight even happen?”
With the win, Blaydes held onto his No. 4 ranking. And he won’t risk his stop on the ladder by granting Aspinall an immediate rematch.
“I’m not risking my ranking (with a rematch),” Blaydes continued. “I won the fight. Heading into this fight I envisioned the winner, which is me, would be fighting the winner of Tuivasa and Gane. So I’m not going to pass up an opportunity to fight those guys when it’s right there to wait for Tom Aspinall to heal and run it back.”
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UFC Headliner Tom Aspinall Gives Anticipated Update on Busted Knee