UFC super prospect Tom Aspinall says his vision was blurred during his statement knockout win on Saturday after he got hit in the eye

• Tom Aspinall just scored the biggest UFC win of his career Saturday.
• But the 6-foot-5 prospect did so while suffering from blurred vision after getting hit in the eye.
• Aspinall told Insider he wants to recover, spend time with family, and fight a veteran in June.
• Visit Insider’s homepage for more stories.

UFC super prospect Tom Aspinall was hit in the eye and suffered blurred vision during his statement win against Andrei Arlovski’s Saturday.

The Brit won the first round because of his activity, landing 37 of 58 strikes (63% accuracy) against Arlovski’s 18 of 44 (40%), but told Insider this week that he was concerned he had gassed himself out after a flurry of punching.

He recuperated during a clinch, took a minute’s rest between rounds before the second, and then secured a rear-naked choke finish to advance his MMA record to 10 wins (eight knockouts and two submissions) against two losses.

As Aspinall is still at the start of his UFC career and Arlovski is a 50-bout veteran, the victory behind-closed-doors at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas is the greatest scalp of his fledgling career.

But though observers may regard the win to have been a straight-forward one, it was not without discomfort for the rising heavyweight star.

Aspinall told Insider on Wednesday that four training camps in a 16-month period - a run that includes his last win in Cage Warriors before a hat trick of victories in the UFC - was beginning to take a toll on his body.

"It's been an ongoing issue and I've had no [break]," Aspinall said. "I've had four fights in 16 months. Back-to-back training camps.

"I'd like time to sort this little problem that's going on. It's not an injury, just a little nagging thing that gets in the way.

"And I've not had time to rest it or heal it, so it just keeps going on. I'd like to get that sorted before I jump straight into another training camp.

"But I said this last time and they offered me Arlovski. I was like, go on then. This time, in particular, I was struggling during the later part of the training camp and it was touch-or-go whether or not I make it to the fight or not."

Aspinall not only made it to the fight, but looked to knock Arlovksi out in the opening round.

He said Arlovksi never really troubled him in the bout, but was worried after his flurry of activity in the first.

"I started to worry after that flurry where I tried to finish him, and I started to feel tired. But, if you ask any fighter, 'If you try and finish a fight but don't finish it, how do you feel after?' They'll tell you what it feels like.

"It's essentially like doing a 100 meter sprint. You'll feel tired after it. I managed to get my breath back in the clinch, and then I felt good. I think I did [show experience] as I actually used my brain - which was nice."

When Insider spoke to Aspinall via Zoom call, he looked happy, healthy, and largely unscathed except for a slight cut on the bridge of his nose. "I just got a little scratch," he said, pointing at the scab. "I'm fine.

As well as the visible scratch, however, Aspinall picked up a hidden problem - his vision was blurred during the fight.

"I had a problem with my eye but it's getting better," he said. "Basically, I got punched in the eye early on. And it wasn't, like, I couldn't see … because I could see.

"But you know when you put someone else's glasses on and it's blurry? That's what it was like in one eye. So I could see, but I couldn't judge how close he was or how far away he was.

"I don't know if you noticed, but I was stood there with my feet flat doing this [Aspinall cupped his hands either side of his face like the photo above], and that's because the lights on the rigging was making it look all blurrier than it was."

Aspinall said holding his hands that way compensated for the blurred vision.

"I think if I had two good eyes, I don't think he would have been able to hit me. And I'm not being cocky or anything. I think my footwork was too quick for him. So that's another experience. Fighting when I couldn't really see that well."

Aspinall feels pressure on a fight week but it vanishes on the night

—ESPN MMA (@espnmma) February 21, 2021

Insider also spoke to Aspinall before his heavyweight test against Arlovski. Because of the pandemic, the UFC's coronavirus-related restrictions were in place and the Brit was unable to leave his hotel room for very long.

He described the final preparations for pandemic-era bouts as more tiresome than usual, where an athlete is left alone with their thoughts.

They're away from families and just days away from a contest that will be broadcast to millions. There are human emotions in play - fear, apprehension, and nerves.

"I do feel pressure, for sure," he told us Wednesday - four days after his win. "But when you get in there, it's just gone. I can't explain it. I was definitely nervous - I always am. But when I'm in there, I'm absolutely fine.

"It's more in the days leading up to the fight and fight day. It's just a long wait and you feel like you're waiting all the time.

"Especially in these pandemic fights because you're literally in the hotel all week. That's when I'm most nervous. Usually, when I've done my work, I'm good. I'm alright then."

As part of the new breed of heavyweight, Aspinall is a well-rounded mixed martial artist. He is renowned for his fight-finishing capabilities as a swarming knockout puncher - but he is also a black belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu.

He told Insider last week that he wanted to keep his ground game a secret in the UFC. That's probably no longer the case after winning with a rear-naked choke.

Regardless, Aspinall maintains that he has far more grappling techniques he can rely on.

"Unfortunately, I had to pull it [the submission] out last minute there," he said. "But I didn't show too much, though. Just a quick choke and that's it.

"Anyone who knows jiu jitsu at a high level will, even though it's quick, appreciate it was some sharp technique."

Aspinall joins illustrious company as the only other fighter to submit Arlovski is the former UFC heavyweight champion Josh Barnett.

"If you watch Arlovski fight, he doesn't get controlled in the grappling aspect ever. He seems a hard guy to take down, and not a lot of people take him down. Let alone submit him.

"I've watched loads of his fights in the build-up to this, watching him most days. Especially in the last week.

"I was thinking, 'S---, if I can't out-strike him it's going to be tough getting him to the ground because his takedown defense and grappling defense is really good. But obviously, I was alright so happy days."

Aspinall hopes to return in June, and he'd like another bout on Fight Island

A post shared by Tom Aspinall (@tomaspinall93)

There was a marked difference in the fight week Aspinall, and the post-fight Aspinall.

Back at home in England, with the win in the bank, he was happy, smiling, and at peace because he'd been reunited with his young family - a partner and three young sons.

In normal, non-COVID times, he'd be working as a personal trainer and teaching jiu jitsu, but gyms are closed due to a national lockdown in Britain. As such, Aspinall will let his body heal from four successive training camps, and enjoy the time with his kids.

"I don't actually get much time to sit down, as I'm being chasing around. They know I fight, but the five-year-old is just not interested.

"He's been around it and has been going to the gym with me since he was three months old. It's not like anything spectacular for him. I'm on the TV fighting and he's not even watching.

"He's not bothered at all, but that's the beauty of kids," said Aspinall. "If I'd have gone over there and got knocked out in 30 seconds, I'd come back and it doesn't matter at all for them.

Aspinall spoke about how his children have also taught him the value of happiness.

"Kids' attitudes are so pure aren't they, and it's just really nice to be around them. Something I learned about my own boys is that people are just naturally happy.

"I feel like you learn to be nasty, angry, or whatever from other people. But kids and humans are naturally happy. People are just so loving.

"I just feel you learn as you get older to not be that way. And sometimes it's nice to be around kids because they're so pure and nice. It's refreshing."

The heavyweight division is one that is often overlooked but, with Aspinall's rising status, Chris Daukaus, and Ciryl Gane, there is new blood in the weight class to go alongside established stars. These include pound-for-pound staple Jon Jones, knockout puncher Francis Ngannou, and champion Stipe Miocic.

"It's exciting," Aspinall said.

As for when he wants to return, and who he wants to fight next, he said: "I want to fight in the summer. I'd love to fight in June. I like a bit of Fight Island - that would be lovely.

Aspinall fought on Fight Island - the UFC's name for Yas Island in Abu Dhabi - in October, beating French fighter Alan Baudot by first round TKO.

"If you're competing in a promotion you've got to fight other guys in that promotion in that weight division. I'd like to fight another veteran.

"I feel like I like learning from those guys and it's just cool to fight someone who you've been watching for a long time. I'd love to fight dos Santos or Ben Rothwell or someone like that - that would be awesome.

"Getting a win against dos Santos would be a dream of mine," he said.

The way Aspinall is going, it may be a dream that soon becomes reality.