For Tom Aspinall, playing the waiting game has been more mentally taxing than recovering from a serious injury.
Aspinall blew out his knee in the opening moments of the UFC London headliner in July 2022, an injury that would sideline him for approximately a year. While that was a difficult time, the Englishman was able to return to form upon recovery, winning his next three fights inside of a round. During that time, he captured interim heavyweight gold and defended the belt once, avenging his only UFC loss against Curtis Blaydes in the process.