On Saturday evening in Abu Dhabi, Tom Aspinall will step into the octagon to challenge Ciryl Gane, the French fighter known for his impressive striking skills and a record boasting 13 victories with only two defeats.

Aspinall, recently elevated to interim champion following Jon Jones’ retirement this summer, is keen to demonstrate why Jones was wise to avoid a matchup.

The 32-year-old hailing from Salford faces a straightforward yet demanding task: to construct a physique and fighting style capable of matching Gane’s relentless pace while maintaining the formidable power that earned him the championship title.

In preparation for Gane, Aspinall’s focus has been on honing his natural abilities rather than reinventing his approach. With a rehabilitated knee and a title to defend, precision is crucial at this stage. His routine is meticulously planned, leaving no room for uncertainty, spontaneous changes, or excessive training fluctuations.

“Mondays we grapple,” he explains, detailing his weekly routine with the precision of a spreadsheet. “Tuesday is reserved for MMA sparring. Wednesday focuses on technique and pad work. Thursday, we spar again. Friday is for fitness, and Saturday is dedicated to sprints.”

On Saturday night in Abu Dhabi, Tom Aspinall will walk into the octagon to face Ciryl Gane

The Frenchman (pictured on the right with Aspinall on the left) possesses a record of 13 wins and 2 losses and is known for his striking ability

Evenings are far from leisurely. “Strength and conditioning sessions are scheduled for Monday and Thursday nights, with pool sprints on Tuesday, and cycling workouts both mid-week and on the weekends,” Aspinall adds.

The order might sound mechanical, but the point is control – to simulate fight intensity without burning out. ‘The coaches talk to each other,’ he says. ‘They know what I’ve done, how intense it’s been. By Wednesday, after grappling Monday and sparring Tuesday, I’m usually tired. That day tends to be lighter… sometimes.’ 

He gives a small laugh, as if aware that ‘lighter’ still means rounds of pad work, cardio drills and stretching sessions. 

When Aspinall broke through the UFC ranks, his rise was defined by speed. His combinations looked like they belonged in a smaller division. Against Gane, that attribute will be tested more than ever. 

The mornings in Atherton are built around that goal. Explosive movement, short bursts, repeatability. He’s worked with his strength and conditioning coaches to maintain fast-twitch power while improving endurance over five rounds. 

The pool sessions, for example, aren’t for relaxation. ‘It’s sprints,’ he says. ‘Just swimming fast. Getting your lungs going. Pushing yourself physically. But, there is less pressure on the body. It’s an effective way to improve fitness while limiting impact on your body. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still hard work.’ 

The bike sessions at night serve the same purpose. He’s cut down on the long distances. ‘There’s too much impact with those sort of runs,’ he says. ‘On the bike, I can push the heart rate up and recover faster.’ 

Aspinall’s sparring load has also changed. Once a week he joins full sparring sessions with his partners. Two or three times during camp he goes through what the team call ‘fresh-man rounds’. Five consecutive rounds with new opponents each time. 

Having been elevated from interim champion when Jon Jones retired this summer, Aspinall is eager to prove why Jones was right to steer clear

Aspinall pictured knocking out Sergei Pavlovich of Russia in the interim UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 295 event at Madison Square Garden in November 2023

‘I stay in for five rounds and get a fresh guy each round (sometimes two per round). That’s one of the hardest sessions you can do,’ he says. ‘You’re absolutely dead after that.’

But there’s a limit. ‘I like to cut down on impact about three weeks out. I don’t spar heavy then, just to stay fresh because I’m a bigger guy and pick up bumps easily. So generally I spar once a week, and do those fresh man rounds maybe two or three times before tapering off.’

The modern UFC heavyweight can’t survive on brutality alone. Recovery, the science of what happens between sessions, has become its own discipline. Aspinall treats it that way.

‘As I’m getting older, I’ve had to take recovery more seriously,’ he says. ‘I stretch, I use the ice bath, sauna, stretch in the pool. I do all of it. Sleep’s the most important thing though.’

He sleeps a lot, sometimes twice a day. After morning training, he goes home to eat and rest before the next session. Recently he’s started sleeping in a hyperbaric chamber – a pressurised capsule that helps the body repair tissue and recover oxygen levels. ‘I’ll go in there for about 90 minutes,’ he says. ‘I usually fall asleep. It’s great.’ 

He laughs when asked about the cold-plunge trend. ‘I’m not one of those people who gets up at six in the morning and jumps in an ice bath. That’s not me. I’ll do it after a hard session for a couple of minutes, but that’s it.’ 

Then there’s hypnotherapy, a quieter kind of work. ‘It’s nothing crazy,’ he says. ‘Just me lying on the couch while my hypnotherapist talks. It helps me switch off.’ 

For a fighter balancing family life, that downtime is limited. ‘I don’t really have hobbies,’ he says. ‘I’ve got kids, and animals. Goats, horses, sheep. Any time I’ve got off goes on that.’ 

Aspinall’s composure this week in Abu Dhabi owes a lot to the months that followed his injury layoff in 2022. When his knee went, his momentum disappeared. The year out that followed could have fractured a career that had been building quietly but steadily. 

Instead, it forced him to rebuild properly. Plus, the lengthy lay-off while waiting for a potential Jon Jones fight only added to the time he had to rebuild in the gym. ‘Compared to me last year, I’m way better,’ he says. 

‘I’ve not been out of the gym once. I’ve added new coaches, new partners. I’ve been training without preparing for anyone specifically, just trying to get better.’

He believes that’s what will separate him on Saturday night. ‘If the me now fought the me from a year ago, it wouldn’t be close.’ 

Criticism about his stamina or ability to go five rounds doesn’t bother him. ‘If people want to think that, that’s fine,’ he says. ‘That means I’ve finished fights early. But I’ve been training for five-rounders for years. I just don’t talk about it.’ 

The tone in his voice doesn’t change when the conversation shifts to the title itself. There’s no sense of showmanship or burden. ‘I just want to fight,’ he says simply. ‘Ideally three times a year. Two at least. Once a year isn’t enough.’ 

When asked about appearing on the proposed White House card next year, he shrugs. ‘I don’t not want to be on it,’ he says, ‘but that should probably be for the Americans. I’m not really into the politics side of it.’