(EXCLUSIVE) Tom Aspinall: The UFC Doesn't Want You To Know This!

Here are the top 10 key takeaways from Tom Aspinall's raw and revealing conversation about his journey from borrowing money for nappies to becoming UFC's undisputed heavyweight champion, Jon Jones's strategic retirement, and the brutal truths about professional fighting that the UFC doesn't want you to know.

1. The brutal financial reality of professional fighting

The journey to financial success in MMA is extraordinarily long and difficult. Tom Aspinall trained from age eight and didn't receive his first six-figure payday until he was thirty years old. That's twenty-two years of dedication before earning what many would consider a decent income. His first amateur fights paid between £50-100, and his first professional fight earned him just £200.

Even at the UFC level, fighters typically start with contracts paying $10,000 to show up and another $10,000 if they win. This means a loss results in just $10,000 before taxes and expenses. The harsh reality is that 95% of MMA fighters never make more than £5,000 per fight. Tom estimates that out of forty fighters at a decent regional show, perhaps one might eventually earn enough from MMA to buy a house.

This financial struggle created immense pressure during Tom's mid-twenties. He had three children by age twenty-five and couldn't afford basic necessities. He had to borrow money from friends and family just to buy nappies and put fuel in his car. The contrast between his dream of becoming a global superstar and the reality of crying children, empty bank accounts, and rainy days in Atherton nearly broke him multiple times.

2. Fear as the ultimate performance fuel

Tom makes a startling admission: he's the number one heavyweight in the world and he's scared to fight everybody. This includes being terrified of fighting Jon Jones, whom he acknowledges as one of the greatest fighters ever. Rather than denying or suppressing this fear, Tom has learned to embrace and channel it. He believes any fighter who claims not to be scared is either lying or "a complete idiot."

The fear becomes most intense in the arena setting. Twenty thousand people watching, millions more on television, bright lights, and another trained fighter waiting to potentially knock you unconscious. Tom describes how he's mentally rehearsed the walkout ten thousand times before physically doing it. This mental preparation helps normalize the terrifying experience when it actually happens.

Understanding fear properly is what separates elite performers from "gym warriors" who excel in training but crumble under pressure. Tom believes fight night flips from being 80% physical and 20% mental during training to 80% mental and 20% physical during the actual event. Those who don't understand how to harness their fear can't access their true abilities when it matters most.

3. The power of visualization and mental drilling

Mental preparation forms a cornerstone of Tom's success. He works with a hypnotherapist and practices extensive visualization techniques. However, his approach isn't mystical or complex. It's as simple as writing down specific goals like "This week I will do this and enjoy it" or "This year I will win two fights."

Tom describes "mentally drilling" situations thousands of times before they occur physically. Just as fighters physically drill techniques through repetition, he mentally rehearses every aspect of fight night. By the time he walks to the octagon, he's already done it countless times in his mind. This makes the actual experience feel familiar rather than overwhelming.

The practice extends beyond specific fight scenarios. When Tom found himself in an uncertain position waiting for the Jon Jones fight, he wrote down affirmations that things would work out. He reads these during stressful moments to maintain positive thinking. This prevents him from spiraling into conspiracy theories about everyone working against him. The key is consistency: writing regularly, reading often, and trusting the process.

4. Rock bottom can become your greatest teacher

Tom's career-defining moment came not from victory but from devastating injury. His knee gave out just fifteen seconds into a title eliminator fight at London's O2 Arena. Twenty-five thousand fans who came to see him started leaving as he sat on the canvas with his leg in the air. The injury required surgery and threatened to end his career entirely.

This forced six-month recovery period became transformative. For the first time, Tom had to slow down and assess his life honestly. He realized he'd been training with the wrong people, maintaining toxic relationships, and neglecting proper diet and recovery. His superstition about not changing anything while winning had prevented necessary improvements. The injury shattered that superstition along with his knee.

Tom emerged from recovery as "completely different people." He cut out every negative influence and anyone not aligned with his goal of becoming the best heavyweight in the world. He rebuilt himself physically and mentally, developing the elite decision-making and recovery practices that would define his later success. Without that devastating injury, he might never have made these crucial changes.

5. Success requires an unwavering support system

Tom's journey would have ended multiple times without key people believing in him. His wife Justina, whom he's been with since age nineteen, never pressured him to quit despite their financial struggles. Most partners would have demanded he get a "proper job" when they had three young children and no money. Instead, she supported his dream even when it seemed delusional.

His father played an equally crucial role. He left his IT career to teach grappling full-time, dedicating himself to Tom's development. When Tom wanted to quit due to injuries, lack of fights, or financial pressure, his father reminded him of the decades already invested. Unlike parents who might say "you tried your best," his father pushed him to continue.

This extended to friends who lent money without judgment and training partners who believed in his potential. Tom acknowledges that without this network, he would have been "an absolute mess." The lesson is clear: pursuing exceptional goals requires exceptional people who believe in you even when circumstances suggest they shouldn't.

6. The Jon Jones retirement changes everything

After months of public anticipation for a unification bout, Jon Jones officially retired without fighting Tom. This made Tom the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion by default. While some might see this as anticlimactic, Tom views it pragmatically. He was always chasing the undisputed title more than any individual opponent.

The retirement creates mixed emotions. Tom spent nearly a year inactive while healthy, waiting for this fight. He's been unable to compete because of the politics surrounding the potential matchup. Part of him takes it as a compliment that Jones chose retirement over facing him. His ego suggests he "beat Jones without fighting him," fulfilling his prediction.

However, Tom remains prepared for Jones to return. Champions of that caliber can "jump the queue" whenever they want. If Jones sees something in Tom's future fights that makes him think he can win, he might come back. Tom stays mentally ready for this possibility while moving forward with his own legacy. The situation illustrates how MMA success depends on politics and timing as much as fighting ability.

7. Modern MMA demands complete skill integration

Today's elite MMA fighters must excel at everything: punching, kicking, wrestling, grappling, and submissions. Tom identifies Jon Jones's genius not in having superior individual skills but in executing them on his own terms. Every elite fighter can perform all techniques. The difference lies in timing and control.

Tom describes how Jones makes opponents fight his style through superior distance management and timing. He initiates exchanges when opponents aren't ready. He uses his physical advantages strategically, having fought mostly smaller opponents moving up in weight. His two heavyweight fights were against carefully selected opponents with specific weaknesses.

This tactical brilliance extends beyond the cage. Tom notes how Jones has chosen opponents who match up well stylistically or are past their prime. He calls this "genius" rather than cowardice. Understanding these dynamics is crucial for Tom's own strategy. He brings advantages Jones hasn't faced: true heavyweight size, youth, hunger, and minimal footage for study.

8. Financial success doesn't solve internal struggles

Winning the interim heavyweight championship brought life-changing money but not life-changing happiness. Tom discovered that "money, fame, and titles doesn't change much in terms of what goes on inside your brain." He still faces the same internal struggles, just different external ones. The problems of poverty disappeared, but new challenges emerged.

This realization contradicts what many young people believe about success. Tom thought rich people had no problems until he became one himself. While he no longer worries about rent or fuel money, other issues have arisen that money cannot solve. The belt and bank account don't provide the fulfillment that struggling fighters imagine they will.

Tom wonders what retirement will look like since fighting consumes his entire existence. Training, recovery, diet, and sleep all serve his fighting career. When that ends, what fills the void? He doubts anything can replace the intensity and purpose that fighting provides. This uncertainty about post-career life haunts many elite athletes who've built their entire identity around their sport.

9. Autism diagnosis unlocks crucial support

Tom's experience with his autistic child revealed the importance of official diagnosis. Initially, he believed diagnosis didn't matter since he'd love and support his child regardless. However, without diagnosis, families are "treading water," unable to access resources or develop proper support strategies. The diagnosis provides a roadmap for progress rather than aimless struggle.

Diagnosis unlocks funding for special education resources, sensory equipment, and therapeutic support. Tom acknowledges his financial position means he doesn't need government funding, but most families do. The current system, with five-year waiting lists, leaves countless families without help during crucial developmental years. Children grow up without proper support, creating lifelong challenges.

Tom uses his platform to advocate for change despite feeling like "a knucklehead" discussing government policy. He knows many families in his area face similar struggles without his resources. By sharing his experience, he hopes to raise awareness and push for system improvements. The issue demonstrates how success brings responsibility to help others facing familiar challenges.

10. Martial arts provides structure for purposeless young men

Training offers young men something increasingly rare: clear consequences for lack of discipline. Skip the gym for a week and you'll physically feel it when you return. Skip it longer and you might get hurt. This immediate feedback loop doesn't exist in most modern life, where consequences of laziness appear slowly and abstractly.

Martial arts creates mandatory accountability through daily ego checks. Every training session presents reality checks about your preparation and skill level. Tom believes everyone should train, not to become fighters but to understand basic self-defense. In an increasingly violent society, knowing how to protect yourself and loved ones becomes essential.

The sport provides structure beyond physical training. Tom found belonging in gyms where age, race, occupation, and background don't matter. Only mutual respect exists between people trying to improve. For shy kids like Tom was, it offers a way to express themselves physically when words fail. This combination of discipline, community, and purpose makes martial arts invaluable for struggling young men.