Tom Aspinall vs Curtis Blaydes went down in the main event of UFC London. Hometown boy Aspinall was ranked no. 6 in the heavyweight division while Blaydes was ranked 4th. Hence the winner of this contest had the opportunity to solidify their place in the Top 5 of the division.
Curtis last lost to Derrick Lewis in February of 2021. But he then bounced back with 2 successive wins over Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Chris Daukaus. He is one of the best wrestlers in the UFC regardless of the division. But his opponent, Tom Aspinall, is no slouch on the mat either.
The wait is over – the main event starts NOW!@RazorBlaydes265 vs @AspinallMMA
— UFC (@ufc) July 23, 2022
[ #UFCLondon | Main Card LIVE on @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/lcK2LXLuvf
Aspinall is not only a good kickboxer, but he also holds a black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ). Although he had 2 losses prior to joining the UFC, Aspinall was undefeated in the UFC with 5 wins. His very last win came over Alexander Volkov in March. Aspinall submitted Volkov with an armbar in the very first round of the last UFC Fight Night event in London.
So who won the main event? Did Curtis Blaydes silence the rowdy crowd inside the O2 Arena? Or did the hometown boy send the fans home in a happy mood? Let’s find out.
Tom Aspinall suffers a knee injury against Curtis Blaydes at UFC London
Twice in two weeks, the main event of a UFC Fight Night ends in an unfortunate injury. Aspinall started off in a very aggressive manner. He launched toward Curtis Blaydes with some vicious kicks. But after landing a kick with his right leg, Aspinall fell down on the mat, screaming in agony.
Oh, man…
— Covers (@Covers) July 23, 2022
Tom Aspinall injures his knee just seconds into the main event. pic.twitter.com/TB5niwHLbW
During the broadcast, veteran UFC fighter Michael Bisping speculated that Aspinall may have suffered an ACL tear. But Paul Felder offered a different perspective. He thought that Aspinall may have suffered a dislocated knee. However, the real reason is yet to be known. The commentary team revealed Tom will be taken to the hospital and assessed by the doctors.
The #UFCLondon main event ends in a victory for @RazorBlaydes265 after an unfortunate knee injury to Tom Aspinall. pic.twitter.com/Ek5GsUIZEr
— UFC (@ufc) July 23, 2022
It looked like after landing the kick, Tom took a step back to position himself for throwing another strike. But while taking the step, he felt an unbearable pain which made him fall down on the mat. This marks the second main event in two successive weeks where the main event ended prematurely. Last week, Brian Ortega dislocated his shoulder in a freak injury.
Gutting scenes, and we’re all wishing Tom Aspinall a speedy recovery. 👏@RazorBlaydes265 gets the win, but not how anyone would’ve wanted it. #UFCLondon pic.twitter.com/4bL56mtw6H
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) July 23, 2022
It seemed like Tom Aspinall was being stretchered out to the back. Being the fighter that he is, Tom refused to be on the stretcher and tried to walk on his own two feet to the back.
An injury like this has the potential to damage an athlete’s movement permanently. However, Aspinall was able to stand up after a while to put some pressure on the leg. So that is some good news. But the full picture will be clear once all the medical reports are out.
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