Tom Aspinall made short work of Sergei Pavlovich in a last-minute appearance to win the interim UFC heavyweight championship. Aspinall surpassed his own record average for shortest average fight duration to become interim heavyweight champion on Saturday at UFC 295 in New York City.
“It’s been a crazy two and a half weeks…” Aspinall said during his post-fight interview. “If you ever get the chance to do something and you’re afraid to do it, you should definitely do it.
“I really believe in myself and have worked so hard over the years. And this guy next to me, my dad, worked harder than anyone else. That’s why this victory is dedicated to him.”
Aspinall and Pavlovich lived up to their reputation as quick starters and exceeded their averages as the two active fighters with the shortest average fight duration in the UFC. Aspinall told CBS Sports it was important for him to be playful in the early moments, and that’s exactly what he did. Aspinall remained calm as he faced Pavlovich’s pressure and found the opening for a devastating right hand blow to the temple. The shot shocked Pavlovich and a crisp follow-up combination ended the matter.
Aspinall accepted the fight against Pavlovich with about two weeks’ notice after Jon Jones suffered an injury. Pavlovich was already preparing for the main event as a replacement fighter, but Aspinall wasn’t there until UFC decided to make the switch. Aspinall is the third UFC champion to represent England and has looked flawless in eight UFC appearances, aside from a knee injury he suffered seconds into a fight with Curtis Blaydes.
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