Tom Aspinall is rigorously preparing for his interim heavyweight title defense against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in Manchester by incorporating traditional gypsy training methods and adjusting to early morning routines to align with the event’s North American broadcast schedule.
Tom Aspinall is leaving no stone unturned ahead of his interim heavyweight title defense against Curtis Blaydes on July 27 in Manchester at UFC 304.
For a native Englishman like Aspinall, that includes taking things back to his roots.
“You ever see the documentary Knuckle? You familiar with that? 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,” Aspinall said Monday on The MMA Hour.
“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.”
The 2011 film Knuckle delves into the world of Irish Traveller bare-knuckle boxing. The Joyces are one of the families most featured in the documentary. A clip of Joe Joyce extolling the virtues of soaking his knuckles in petrol to harden them has since gone viral.
Aspinall, 31, said he is hitting that same old-school routine nearly every day ahead of his rematch against Blaydes. He’s serious about the preparation and the petrol is not a joke.
“These are some of the hardest knuckles in the UFC right here right now,” Aspinall said. “They’re like rocks.”
Aspinall said his 4 a.m. wake-ups are also part of his preparation for fight night. Though UFC 304 takes place in his native England, the timing surrounding the event is configured to fit around a North American broadcast schedule. This means Aspinall will likely make his walk to the cage against Blaydes deep into early morning hours in Manchester.
Outside of his morning work around hay bales and “just getting my body used to being alert at 4 a.m,” Aspinall said he hasn’t given too much attention to early start time.
“Look mate, if you can fight really well at midnight but can’t fight well at 4 a.m., you weren’t that good in first place,” Aspinall said. “Like, there’s plenty times I’ve traveled across world fought different time zones without even adjusting myself.”
“And now I’ve had full training camp at home; I’m ready to fight,” he added. “So if that’s an excuse mate you’re not that good anyway.”
“I spar at about 10 a.m., once or twice weekly,” he continued. “Never crossed my mind sparring at midnight just get body ready for it.”
“Never crossed my mind in over thirty fights,” he emphasized. “All times I’ve traveled somewhere never bothered me about time difference.” Why should it start now?
“But saying that,” he admitted with slight hesitation, “I am preparing myself for it.” Waking up early? Check! Doing shadowboxing? Check! Taking it seriously? Absolutely!
Early morning or not, UFC 304 remains seismic opportunity for Aspinall.
The English big man grew up stone’s throw from site hosting card: Manchester’s Co-op Live arena.
A chance to avenge only UFC loss? Yes! Perfect record aside from one blemish against Blaydes due knee injury just seconds into bout?
This is massive fight both professionally and personally,” Aspinall stated firmly.
“When got into MMA years ago this was why,” he reflected.
“This is goal; this is dream.”
“In two weeks’ time defending UFC heavyweight title home city Manchester front thousands fans?”
“A dream come true.”
“And no matter what happens?” He paused.
“I did it.”
“I experienced it.”
“My whole life led up this point.”