93 and counting: Cage Warriors’ heavyweight finisher Tom Aspinall signs with UFC

MMA News
93 and counting: Cage Warriors’ heavyweight finisher Tom Aspinall signs with UFC

The Cage Warriors production line continues to roll on with British heavyweight prospect Tom Aspinall the latest athlete from the U.K.-based promotion to make the step up to the UFC.

The official Cage Warriors Twitter account announced Friday that Aspinall (7-2) was the 93rd athlete from the organization to graduate to the UFC. He follows in the footsteps of the likes of Dan Hardy, Michael Bisping, Joanna Jedrzejczyk and Conor McGregor by taking his journey to the big stage via the Cage Warriors cage.

A training partner of UFC middleweight Darren Till at Liverpool’s Team Kaobon gym and sparring partner for former world heavyweight boxing champion Tyson Fury, Aspinall has been tipped for the top for some time. But his decision to switch from MMA to try his hand at professional boxing in 2017 briefly put his mixed martial arts career on hold.

But, after two years away from the cage, Aspinall returned to the sport with Cage Warriors earlier this year and picked up back-to-back first-round finishes at Cage Warriors 101 and Cage Warriors 107 to earn a UFC contract.

The Brit, who also holds a black belt in Brazilian jiu-jitsu, has all seven of his career wins by stoppage and will be looking to continue that trend when he steps into the octagon for his debut later this year or early in 2020.

93 and counting: Cage Warriors' heavyweight finisher Tom Aspinall signs with UFC