Jon Anik explains why "there's a lot of pressure" on Tom Aspinall ahead of his Ciryl Gane title fight at UFC 321

Tom Aspinall enters UFC 321 seemingly carrying more pressure than in any of his fights in recent years. The undisputed heavyweight champion will put his belt on the line against Ciryl Gane in Abu Dhabi.

Originally, all eyes were on a potential clash with Jon Jones. However, the American retired and vacated the title, leaving Aspinall as the undisputed champion.

Aspinall enters the fight as a heavy favorite, but UFC analyst Jon Anik points out that expectations have skyrocketed since he claimed the belt. Fans and analysts alike are eager to see if he can maintain his momentum against a skilled and experienced opponent like Gane.

Speaking in an interview with MMA Fighting, Anik said:

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“His fan base has swelled exponentially because of the whole Jon Jones circus/exercise, right? Ciryl Gane has gotten a lot of opportunities. He’s a credentialed heavyweight. He’s an outstanding striker. Seemingly, there has been an appetite for improvement in the wrestling and grappling areas. But Tom Aspinall is anointed. We went back, Kenny Florian and I did for UFC Fight Pass this week, and watched some of the early film and even then, you can just see shades of greatness."

He added:

“So I think there’s always been pressure on Tom, but because he didn’t get the Jon Jones fight and because he’s now the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, never mind the fact that he’s a 4-to-1 favorite in this crazy sport, could you imagine if [next Monday], we’re all doing our podcasts and shows and talking about Tom Aspinall not holding serve as the favorite? It would be crazy, I think, in any other sport, right? 4-to-1 favorites don’t lose very often in sports. So, yeah, there’s a lot of pressure on Tommy, and I know he eats it like a f*cking sandwich."

Check out Jon Anik's comments below (9:30):

Dana White criticizes Tom Aspinall for his stance on potential fight with teammate

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall faces criticism from UFC CEO Dana White after saying he would rather vacate the title than fight longtime teammate Ante Delija. Aspinall defends his belt against Ciryl Gane this Saturday at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi.

Delija, a former PFL champion, recently moved into the heavyweight top 10 following a decisive knockout in his UFC debut. White called Aspinall’s refusal “insane,” stressing that competing against friends does not affect personal relationships.

Speaking in an interview with TNT Sports, White said:

“You know what I think about it, I hate that. Many friends, relatives have all fought each other before. It doesn’t determine…whether or not you’re friends with somebody or hate them, you’re competing to see who the best is. But that’s his decision. To think about even vacating him because you don’t want to compete against somebody is insane. But he’s a grown man, and it’s up to him.”

About the author

Abhishek Ramadasan Nambiar is a journalist who covers MMA at Sportskeeda. As a long-time practitioner of various martial arts, seeing the fusion of different forms into a quest for the ultimate fighter felt both primal and profoundly technical. At Sportskeeda, Abhishek's primary goal is to offer a fresh and distinctive angle through his writing, aiming to provide readers with more than just the basics of MMA. Along with keeping them informed about the latest developments in the sport, he strives to offer valuable insights that enhance their understanding of MMA.

When not writing about MMA, Abhishek often spends time reviewing music or devouring Brian Evanson's and Blake Crouch's work. Sign up to receive news, regular updates, and exclusive coverage.

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