TOM ASPINALL has seen just about everything inside the octagon.
But he also saw his fair share of violence outside the cage during his days as a bouncer, a job he had to supplement his training.
5
5
5
One incident, in particular, lives long in the memory for the Wigan warrior.
During an appearance on Michael Bisping’s Believe You Me podcast, he said: “I used to work the door at a really nice bar.
“[It was] kicking off, people are fighting in there. So, we ran in, and as we ran in, a guy was biting another guy’s nose off.”
Aspinall, understandably, was left gobsmacked by the sickening act of violence.
READ MORE ON TOM ASPINALL
But what happened seconds after the lout tore his fellow bargoer’s nose off left the interim UFC heavyweight champion in disbelief.
Aspinall continued: “He went to spit it out and as he was going to spit it out, his friend said, ‘Don’t spit it out.’
“‘Because he’ll be able to sew it back on.’ So the guy then swallowed his nose.”
Thankfully for Aspinall, he doesn’t have to contend with biting inside the octagon as it was one of the very few rules implemented at UFC’s inaugural event back in November 1993.
JOIN SUN VEGAS: GET £50 BONUS
5
Aspinall, 31, is currently gearing up for the biggest fight of his career – a heavyweight title unification bout with MMA legend Jon Jones.
A date for the mammoth melee has yet to be finalised, although UFC CEO and President Dana White recently claimed the fight is “done”.
He told TNT Sports: “It’s going to happen. “It’s done, but it’s not done.
“Not done enough to sit right here now and announce it and give you a date.
“But the fight’s going to happen. It’s just a matter of getting it signed now.
“If we pull this off and actually make the fight, announce it and start leading up to it.
“This will be the biggest heavyweight fight in UFC history.”
Aspinall teased an imminent fight announcement last week following a meeting with the UFC’s Chief Business Officer, Hunter Campbell.
He posted a snap of himself along with dad Andy and Campbell to his Instagram and X pages with the accompanying caption: “Stay tuned.”
5
