History of Tom Aspinall in Timeline

Tom Aspinall is an English professional mixed martial artist currently competing in the Heavyweight division of the UFC. As of April 19, 2025, he is the reigning Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion and ranked #11 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings. Aspinall is notable for his exceptional finishing rate, with six of his eight UFC victories achieved by the midpoint of the first round. He also holds the UFC record for the shortest average fight time, clocking in at just two minutes and two seconds.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

April 1993: Tom Aspinall's Birth

In April 1993, Thomas Paul Aspinall was born. He is now a professional mixed martial artist.

March 2020: Scheduled UFC Debut Cancelled

In March 2020, Tom Aspinall was scheduled to debut against Raphael Pessoa at UFC Fight Night: Woodley vs. Edwards. However, the event was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

July 2020: UFC Debut and First Win

In July 2020, Tom Aspinall made his UFC debut at UFC on ESPN 14 against Jake Collier, winning via technical knockout in the first round and earning the Performance of the Night award.

October 2020: Second UFC Fight and Win

In October 2020, Tom Aspinall's second UFC fight was against Alan Baudot, after Serghei Spivac withdrew. Aspinall won the fight via first-round technical knockout.

February 2021: Victory Against Andrei Arlovski

In February 2021, Tom Aspinall faced Andrei Arlovski at UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. Lewis, winning the fight via submission in the second round and earning another Performance of the Night award.

September 2021: Win Against Serghei Spivac

In September 2021, Tom Aspinall was scheduled to face Sergei Pavlovich at UFC Fight Night 191, but ended up fighting Serghei Spivac after Pavlovich was removed due to visa issues. Aspinall won via technical knockout in the first round, earning his third Performance of the Night bonus award.

January 2022: Change of Opponent

In January 2022, it was announced that Tom Aspinall would face Alexander Volkov instead of Shamil Abdurakhimov at UFC Fight Night 204.

March 2022: Victory Against Alexander Volkov

In March 2022, Tom Aspinall faced Alexander Volkov at UFC Fight Night 204, winning the fight via straight armbar submission in the first round and receiving the Performance of the Night award.

July 2022: Loss Due to Knee Injury

In July 2022, Tom Aspinall faced Curtis Blaydes at UFC Fight Night 208. He lost the fight by technical knockout just 15 seconds into the first round after being rendered unable to continue due to a knee injury.

July 2023: Return and Victory After Injury

In July 2023, after a year off due to his injury, Tom Aspinall returned to face Marcin Tybura at UFC Fight Night 224. He won the fight via TKO just over a minute into the first round, earning his fifth Performance of the Night bonus award.

November 2023: Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship Win

In November 2023, on two weeks' notice, Tom Aspinall faced Sergei Pavlovich for the Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 295 due to Jon Jones' injury. He won by first-round knockout, earning his sixth Performance of the Night award.

July 2024: Interim Title Defense Against Curtis Blaydes

In July 2024, Tom Aspinall defended his interim title against Curtis Blaydes in a rematch at UFC 304, winning by knockout one minute into the first round and earning a $100,000 Performance of the Night award.

November 2024: Backup Fighter for UFC Heavyweight Championship Bout

In November 2024, Tom Aspinall served as the backup fighter for the UFC Heavyweight Championship bout between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic at UFC 309.

April 2025: Aspinall's UFC Ranking and Championship Status

As of April 2025, Tom Aspinall competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the reigning Interim UFC Heavyweight Champion and is ranked #11 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.