Being a hard-hitting UFC heavyweight isn't easy as Tom Aspinall has admitted he breaks his hands in almost every fight he has.
Aspinall, who faces Curtis Blaydes on July 23, has won all five of his UFC fights by stoppage since being signed to the promotion in 2020. He moved up to No.6 in the division's rankings earlier this year by submitting Alexander Volkov at UFC London.
The 28-year-old has previously backed himself as "one of the most feared punchers" not just in the heavyweight division, but the entire UFC. His power has come with consequences however, as he admitted his hands take a beating in most of his fights.
"I break my hands near enough every fight," Aspinall said on The Fellas podcast. "I have broken my hands multiple times. My size of head when you punch it, it's pretty hard. Another guy my size, you punch his head as hard as you can and it's like hitting a wall.
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"I know if I hit anybody in the world on the chin that I can knock them out. That goes for most heavyweights because of the size and the power of the gloves."
Aspinall broke UFC star Ronda Rousey's record for the fastest time to pickup five wins in the promotion. Rousey had achieved the accolade in 17 minutes and 23 seconds, whilst Aspinall smashed that time by clocking in at 14 minutes and 24 seconds.
Despite likely being just two wins way from a heavyweight title shot, becoming a world champion is the last thing on Aspinall's mind for now. He insists he must grow as a fighter before challenging for a belt, telling Mirror Fighting: “I want to keep the title when I get it.
"I don’t want to just have a go, get knocked out and then never be near the title again. I want to give myself as much chance of getting the title and keeping it as I can. For that, I think I need more experience so that’s why I’m fighting whoever I can.
“I think I’m one of the best UFC heavyweights to walk the face of the earth, but I’m also realistic in the fact that I want to give myself the best chance of cementing my legacy. I’m not like ‘I need to be the champion now’, I’ve just got to take my time and do it my way."
