The clash between Curtis Blaydes and Tom Aspinall is set to take place at London’s O2 Arena on Saturday, July 23. And already, people are suggesting it could turn into a heavyweight bout to remember. Sparks will fly when both men enter the octagon, and a knockout could well be on the cards.
Of course, the first place to start with any review is to see what the bookmakers are saying in terms of MMA betting odds and analysis on the event, and they’re quite revealing as both men are evenly matched in this respect. Money is being placed on both fighters in the run-up to the heavyweight clash, and as they’re proving difficult to split, it means that everyone should be in for a great watch, whether they’re at the O2 on the night or watching from home.
If we drill down into the finer details ahead of the fight, it does give us reason to believe that it could be Aspinall who has the edge. The reason being that his all-round game is right up there. He could knock out Blaydes with his power or lock him up in a submission and force him into tapping. Aspinall has also shown solid form since entering the UFC, with five wins from five. He never goes the distance, either, and Blaydes has been stopped on
three occasions previously.
However, we’re not writing Blaydes and his chances of winning off because, as far as heavyweights go, he’s in the top five. From his last twelve outings, he’s recorded ten victories. Two of his three UFC reverses have come against Francis Ngannou, which is nothing to be ashamed of, and he’s now on a two-fight winning streak and looking to make it three victories from three against Aspinall at the O2 Arena.
When you look at Aspinall’s form, it’s hard to look past the twenty-nine-year-old who hails from Greater Manchester. He joined the UFC in 2020 and has recorded five straight wins, with three TKOs and two submissions. He’s also used to fighting in the UK, having done so on native soil ten times previously, while it will be a new experience for Blaydes.
Blaydes, 31, has recorded eleven of his sixteen wins as a professional MMA fighter by knockout. And this will arguably be his best chance of success against Aspinall. He’s better at trying to use what comes naturally to him, and his power is undoubtedly a weapon in his arsenal. Punches and elbows are the tools of Blaydes’ trade, and Aspinall must be on his guard, even though he is yet to have been knocked out.
The verdict here is that Blaydes will put up a fight against Aspinall and prove to be a tough test. However, Aspinall does appear to be on another level in terms of his quality and has multiple ways he can win. Therefore, his all-round game will be crucial and should see him secure victory inside the distance once again.
