Every fighter has that one matchup they dread deep down inside. You know, the kind that keeps them up at night thinking about all the ways it could go wrong. Even the most dominant champions have styles that just don’t match up well with their own game. Tom Aspinall might be the scariest heavyweight on the planet right now, but even he admits there’s one fighter who would’ve been his kryptonite!
The Manchester native has been absolutely terrorizing the heavyweight division with frightening efficiency. His average fight time sits at just 2 minutes and 2 seconds. He’s never even seen the third round in his entire MMA career. But during a recent podcast appearance, Tom Aspinall admitted he would never have beaten one particular fighter in his prime, calling him the worst style matchup possible.
On the ShxtsnGigs podcast, Aspinall didn’t hesitate when asked about fighters who would give him serious problems. He immediately pointed to Daniel Cormier’s heavyweight version as his stylistic nightmare. The current heavyweight champion explained exactly why prime DC would’ve caused him endless headaches inside the Octagon. According to Aspinall, Cormier’s combination of relentless forward pressure, seamless transitions between striking and wrestling, and seemingly unlimited cardio created the perfect storm.
“Yeah, you know, Daniel Cormier. Peak DC has the worst style for me ever. He’s like short guy who just keeps walking forward, changes levels in between grappling and punches. You can’t take him down, and he’s got cardio for days. For my style, he’s a nightmare.”
Aspinall broke it down in simple terms that any fight fan could understand. DC was a short guy who just kept walking forward without any fear. Fighters couldn’t take him down because of his Olympic-level wrestling pedigree. And perhaps most frustrating of all, the man had cardio for days while maintaining incredible power. For someone with Aspinall’s style, that presents problems at every turn.
Daniel Cormier’s career trajectory makes Aspinall’s assessment even more interesting. DC started as a heavyweight in Strikeforce, where he won the Heavyweight Grand Prix championship back in 2011. He only dropped to light heavyweight because his training partner and close friend Cain Velasquez held the heavyweight title at the time. Out of loyalty, Cormier cut weight and dominated at 205 pounds instead.
But despite being undersized at both weight classes, Cormier (22-3-0-1 NC) became one of the greatest fighters ever. He eventually returned to heavyweight and shocked the world by knocking out Stipe Miocic at UFC 226. That victory made him just the second fighter in UFC history to hold two belts simultaneously.
Joe Rogan once called Aspinall the next evolution of heavyweights, praising his rare speed and power combination. That description fits perfectly when fans watched him fight. But even evolutionary specimens have bad matchups, and Aspinall’s honesty about Cormier shows real wisdom. While fans will never see that fantasy fight play out, Aspinall’s respect for the legend remains compelling. For now, Aspinall is set to defend his heavyweight crown against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi.
(Image Credit: Per Haljestam – Imagn Images)
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