Tom Aspinall record and biography: style, stats, notable fights

Records & accolades

The most eye-catching line in Tom Aspinall’s competitive résumé is the pace at which he ends fights. His average Octagon time sits around the two-minute mark, a historically low figure at the elite level and the clearest statistical expression of his style: make reads early, strike with speed and accuracy, and punish defensive resets. Within the UFC’s record-book dashboards he also stands out for a best-in-class striking differential (he lands far more than he absorbs), top-tier strikes landed per minute for an athlete above 240 pounds, and a microscopic amount of time spent on bottom — a testament to both his takedown awareness and his ability to scramble immediately if grounded.

Aspinall captured interim gold with a 69-second knockout of Sergei Pavlovich at Madison Square Garden and defended that interim title in 2024 by icing Curtis Blaydes in under a minute on home soil in Manchester. After Jon Jones’ retirement, the interim strap was promoted to the undisputed championship, placing Aspinall at the top of a division he has helped modernize with speed, footwork, and choice shot-selection rather than pure mass.

Career timeline (highlights)

• Amateur to pro (pre-UFC): Raised in a grappling household — his father is a BJJ coach — Aspinall compiled a run of quick finishes on the UK scene, developed crisp hands via sparring in boxing gyms, and learned to layer takedown threats behind jabs and reactive entries.
• UFC London breakthrough (Mar 2022): Submitted Alexander Volkov with a straight armlock after setting traps with speed entries; won a Performance of the Night bonus and vaulted into title contention.
• Setback and reset (Jul 2022): A knee injury vs. Curtis Blaydes ended their first meeting at 0:15 of R1, forcing surgery and a year out. The hiatus refined his patience and rebuilt confidence through structured rehab.
• Statement return (Jul 2023): Stopped Marcin Tybura in 73 seconds in London — feints drew predictable defensive shifts, the right hand followed, and ground-and-pound finished.
• Interim gold (Nov 2023): Knocked out Sergei Pavlovich in 69 seconds at UFC 295, using sharp angles and a left-right burst that folded one of the division’s scariest punchers.
• First title defense (Jul 2024): Blasted through Curtis Blaydes in their rematch at UFC 304, retaining the interim belt by first-minute stoppage and closing the loop on 2022’s injury night.
• Undisputed era (2025): With the title line cleared by Jones’ retirement, Aspinall enters champion mode — headlining PPVs, building a résumé of defenses, and shaping a rivalry slate against fellow modern movers like Ciryl Gane.

Style & tactics

Notable fights (why they matter)

• Alexander Volkov — Submission, R1 (London, 2022):
  A textbook example of doing fast things slowly: Aspinall didn’t rush, drew predictable frames with strikes, then transitioned on feel to a straight armlock. It proved he could finish elite opposition without a brawl.
• Sergei Pavlovich — KO, R1 (New York, 2023):
  The punch everyone remembers: a tight left-right through open space as Pavlovich overstepped. Timing and foot placement beat raw power.
• Curtis Blaydes II — KO, R1 (Manchester, 2024):
  Closure. The rematch flipped 2022’s script: Aspinall’s reads landed early, his hands stayed compact, and he never allowed chain-wrestle entries to build steam.
• Andrei Arlovski — Submission, R2 (2021):
  Veteran test passed. Traps on the fence, short punches to provoke the turn, and immediate rear-naked choke when the back opened.
• Marcin Tybura — TKO, R1 (2023):
  Return from injury stress-tested his timing; he passed with an economical barrage that showcased patience after the first clean connection.

State of play: what the numbers say now

Tom Aspinall record and biography points to a prime that is still compounding. On offense he piles up significant strikes at a rare per-minute rate for any weight, let alone heavyweights; his striking differential sits among the best measured in the promotion; and his knockdown average per 15 minutes places him on a short list of the UFC’s most dangerous starters. On defense, almost no bottom time and immediate scrambles keep him away from losing rounds on control. Put simply, his metrics mirror the eye test: controlled pressure, intelligent risk, and ruthless finishing.

The strategic question for contenders is whether they can drag him into late-round attrition without surrendering early momentum. To date, most opponents never get that far. Those with the best chance tend to be disciplined range managers who can punish entries with jabs, teeps, and calf kicks, or chain wrestlers who can finish turns and hold positions long enough to tax the gas tank. Even then, Aspinall’s defensive footwork and first-step speed make clean looks rare.

How to fight him: opponent game-planning notes

1. Disrupt the first exchange: He wins fights in the first 120 seconds; spend that time killing rhythm with teeps and stance-switch exits, not trading counters on his timing.
2. Kick first, punch second: Low-low-high sequences (inside calf to body kick) slow his lead foot. The goal is not damage but to tax burst speed and make the cage feel smaller.
3. Fence as filter: If you shoot, do it to pin and reset posture, not to hold him. Threaten trips off the cage, then break with elbows to discourage blitzes.
4. Make him show back-pocket layers: Force feint-to-entry patterns into layers three and four. If he has to build combinations beyond the first read, mistakes become possible.

FAQ — Tom Aspinall