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‘I’m scared’ – Tom Aspinall tells Logan Paul how UFC legend helped him make fear of fighting a superpower
Tom Aspinall has opened up about his fear of fighting, revealing that a UFC legend helped him learn to confront his emotions. Aspinall is gearing up for the biggest fight of his life, which is expected to take place this year against UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones. Aspinall is the UFC interim heavyweight champion and likely to fight Jones nextGetty Jones has fought just once since winning the heavyweight title in March 2023AFP - Getty Although the blockbuster bout is yet to be officially confirmed, UFC CEO Dana White has asserted it is all but signed. Aspinall experienced a huge rise in popularity over the last four years, knocking out the best fighters in the world en route to becoming the UFC interim heavyweight champion. However, the 31-year-old has also faced a different challenge outside of his fighting career. In an honest conversation with WWE starLogan Paul, Aspinall revealed that he takes his mental health ‘really serious,’ while explaining how he has learned from MMA icon Georges St-Pierre as a natural suppressor of his emotions. “I learned a lot of this stuff from GSP,” he told Paul on Impaulsive. “I know GSP personally now, but a lot of it I just learned from watching his podcasts and watching his stuff. “Because he’s so open and he’s like 10 years before me, maybe even more. “And that guy’s going out there fighting guys like Nick Diaz, who are giving him the finger and p****** him off constantly. “He’s like: ‘Yeah, I’m scared. But I’m going to go over and kick your a** anyway.’ “I love that upfront and honesty when your honest with your emotions and facing yourself. I absolutely love that.” Aspinall revealed that he has previously struggled with his fear of fightingIMPAULSIVE But learned from St-Pierre to use those emotions for the betterIMPAULSIVE Aspinall admitted that he still finds fighting ‘so scary’ even if he realises he may be the most dangerous man on the planet, capable of devastating knockouts. He added that there used to be times when he would be battling with himself, as well as his opponent in a fight. However, the Brit asserted that he has taken advantage of his fear of stepping into the Octagon and has noticed his trajectory has shot up since. “I will openly speak about how scared I am when I fight. There’s me and GSP who’ve spoke about it a lot,” he said. “There’s so many UFC fighters who are like: ‘I ain’t f****** scared. I’ll fight anybody.’ “And I’ll definitely fight anybody as well. But it’s still scary and I’m open with it. “I feel like when you are open with that and you embrace it, it gives you a whole superpower in itself. You’re like: ‘I’m f****** scared, but I’m gonna do it anyway.’ Aspinall said embracing his fear gives him an extra ‘superpower’Getty “I’m going to look across, whether it’s Jon Jones or someone else, I’m gonna look them in the eye and be like: ‘I’m f****** scared, but I’m coming for you.’ “I wanna separate you from your consciousness, that’s what I’m looking to do, I want to knock everybody out. “I’m scared of every single person, but that fear makes me super sharp.” Aspinall defended his interim status in his most recent fight, knocking out Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in Manchester last July. He has already admitted accepting the bout with Jones and was present in the capital ahead of UFC London to finalise negotiations for the mega-fight. As for Jones, there has been no mention from his side of things that he has any interest in accepting the fight, although UFC CEO White has already claimed the fight will ‘100 per cent’ happen. British MMA legend Michael Bisping even said that ‘Bones’ should ‘hurry up or retire’ when speaking with talkSPORT.com about the ongoing situation that he describes as ‘pure madness.’ If Jones continues to delay his fight with Aspinall until the week beginning Monday, August 18, 2025 he will set a new record as the longest-reigning UFC heavyweight champion of all time. Cain Velasquez currently holds the record having held the belt for 896 days during his second stint as champion.
Tom Aspinall has opened up about his fear of fighting, revealing that a UFC legend helped him learn to confront his emotions.
Aspinall is gearing up for the biggest fight of his life, which is expected to take place this year against UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones.
Although the blockbuster bout is yet to be officially confirmed, UFC CEO Dana White has asserted it is all but signed.
Aspinall experienced a huge rise in popularity over the last four years, knocking out the best fighters in the world en route to becoming the UFC interim heavyweight champion.
However, the 31-year-old has also faced a different challenge outside of his fighting career.
In an honest conversation with WWE starLogan Paul, Aspinall revealed that he takes his mental health ‘really serious,’ while explaining how he has learned from MMA icon Georges St-Pierre as a natural suppressor of his emotions.
“I learned a lot of this stuff from GSP,” he told Paul on Impaulsive.
“I know GSP personally now, but a lot of it I just learned from watching his podcasts and watching his stuff.
“Because he’s so open and he’s like 10 years before me, maybe even more.
“And that guy’s going out there fighting guys like Nick Diaz, who are giving him the finger and p****** him off constantly.
“He’s like: ‘Yeah, I’m scared. But I’m going to go over and kick your a** anyway.’
“I love that upfront and honesty when your honest with your emotions and facing yourself. I absolutely love that.”
Aspinall admitted that he still finds fighting ‘so scary’ even if he realises he may be the most dangerous man on the planet, capable of devastating knockouts.
He added that there used to be times when he would be battling with himself, as well as his opponent in a fight.
However, the Brit asserted that he has taken advantage of his fear of stepping into the Octagon and has noticed his trajectory has shot up since.
“I will openly speak about how scared I am when I fight. There’s me and GSP who’ve spoke about it a lot,” he said.
“There’s so many UFC fighters who are like: ‘I ain’t f****** scared. I’ll fight anybody.’
“And I’ll definitely fight anybody as well. But it’s still scary and I’m open with it.
“I feel like when you are open with that and you embrace it, it gives you a whole superpower in itself. You’re like: ‘I’m f****** scared, but I’m gonna do it anyway.’
“I’m going to look across, whether it’s Jon Jones or someone else, I’m gonna look them in the eye and be like: ‘I’m f****** scared, but I’m coming for you.’
“I wanna separate you from your consciousness, that’s what I’m looking to do, I want to knock everybody out.
“I’m scared of every single person, but that fear makes me super sharp.”
Aspinall defended his interim status in his most recent fight, knocking out Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in Manchester last July.
He has already admitted accepting the bout with Jones and was present in the capital ahead of UFC London to finalise negotiations for the mega-fight.
As for Jones, there has been no mention from his side of things that he has any interest in accepting the fight, although UFC CEO White has already claimed the fight will ‘100 per cent’ happen.
British MMA legend Michael Bisping even said that ‘Bones’ should ‘hurry up or retire’ when speaking with talkSPORT.com about the ongoing situation that he describes as ‘pure madness.’
If Jones continues to delay his fight with Aspinall until the week beginning Monday, August 18, 2025 he will set a new record as the longest-reigning UFC heavyweight champion of all time.
Cain Velasquez currently holds the record having held the belt for 896 days during his second stint as champion.
