Mar 22, 2025; London, England, United Kingdom; Tom Aspinall, UFC Heavyweight fighter, watches as Marcin Tybura (red gloves) fights against Mick Parkin (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at O2 Arena. Mandatory Credit: Peter van den Berg-Imagn Images

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Tom Aspinall Looked Visibly Upset While Watching Leon Edwards Getting Tapped

Tom Aspinall reveals his support to Leon Edwards; gets visibly upset seeing him lose to Sean Brady at UFC London!

British MMA has experienced its fair share of ups and downs over the years. From Michael Bisping becoming the first British UFC champion in 2016 to Darren Till’s meteoric rise and subsequent fall, UK fighters have given fans plenty to cheer about (and occasionally cry over.)

The relationship between fighters from the same country often goes beyond mere nationality; they train together, they support each other, and they feel each other’s pain. Such was the case this past weekend at UFC London, where two of Britain’s finest fighters found themselves on very different trajectories. While one continues his ascent toward heavyweight glory, the other saw his welterweight dreams crushed in front of his home crowd.

Tom Aspinall and Leon Edwards represent the pinnacle of British MMA talent. Both men have overcome tremendous obstacles to reach the upper echelons of the sport. Aspinall battled back from a devastating knee injury against Curtis Blaydes in 2022 to capture interim heavyweight gold. Edwards became the owner of one of the greatest comebacks in UFC history when he knocked out Kamaru Usman with a last-minute head kick to win the welterweight title. Their paths have often intertwined at UK events, with both men supporting each other’s journeys. But at UFC London this weekend, Aspinall was forced to watch helplessly as his friend and countryman suffered a crushing defeat.

Also Read: Sean Brady Makes a Pick for His Next Fight After Dominating Leon Edwards at UFC London!

Tom Aspinall Watches As Leon Edwards Gets Submitted

When Sean Brady locked in that guillotine choke on Leon Edwards, the camera (although different) caught more than just the submission. it captured the raw emotion on Tom Aspinall’s face. The interim heavyweight champion, seated cageside couldn’t hide his disappointment as Brady forced the tap from Edwards.

“Look, I’m a fan of Leon, Leon is my friend, but I also appreciate high level MMA, and Sean Brady’s displaying some really good stuff there. Damn! Wow, domination from Sean Brady. Gutted for Leon. Gutted for him,”said Aspinall in his YouTube video.

Aspinall voice was heavy with emotion as he watched his fellow Brit submit in the main event. He didn’t mince words when analyzing what went wrong, noting that this fight was “very similar to the Belal fight.” Aspinall was referring to Edwards’ previous loss that cost him the welterweight title.

Both these Brits are on different career trajectories. Leon Edwards has now dropped consecutive fights. He lost his championship to Belal Muhammad and then fell to Brady in his home country. Meanwhile, Aspinall’s stock continues to rise. The heavyweight powerhouse avenged his injury loss to Blaydes with a dominant performance at UFC 304. This was the same night Edwards lost his belt to Muhammad.

(Image Credit: Peter van den Berg – Imagn Images)

Leon Edwards

Sean Brady

Tom Aspinall

UFC London

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!