Tom Aspinall, the interim heavyweight champion and top-ranked fighter in his division, is gearing up for his upcoming fight at UFC 304 in Manchester, England. However, there’s a twist that has him feeling uneasy – the fight is scheduled to take place in the early hours of the morning local time to accommodate North American pay-per-view buyers.
Despite expressing his concerns and reaching out to officials about potentially changing the start time, Aspinall was met with a firm “no.” This decision has left him and other fighters, as well as U.K. fans, feeling disappointed and inconvenienced.
Aspinall, who is set to face Curtis Blaydes in a highly anticipated rematch, is now faced with the challenge of preparing for a peak performance under less-than-ideal circumstances. With his only loss in the UFC coming from Blaydes, Aspinall knows he has a tough battle ahead of him.
Struggling to come up with a solid plan to adjust to the time difference, Aspinall is considering various options, including training in Vegas to align with the time zone or altering his sleep schedule in the days leading up to the fight.
Despite the challenges ahead, Aspinall remains determined to do whatever it takes to secure a victory at UFC 304. With his track record of finishing fights early, he will be looking to make a statement in front of his home crowd, even if it means battling against the odds of a disrupted sleep schedule.