Tom Aspinall credits Georges St-Pierre with assisting him in facing his fear of fighting.
The current interim UFC heavyweight champion has risen to prominence in the UFC`s heavyweight division by defeating opponents such as Sergei Pavlovich, Curtis Blaydes, and Alexander Volkov.
He is now approaching a unification fight with Jon Jones, considered by many to be the greatest UFC fighter ever.
Despite his success, Aspinall openly admits to experiencing fear each time he enters the UFC Octagon.
Learning from Georges St-Pierre
In a recent podcast, Aspinall spoke candidly about his fear of fighting. He mentioned learning from MMA legend Georges St-Pierre, who has also been open about his complex emotions regarding fighting.
“I learned a lot from GSP,” Aspinall stated. “I know GSP personally now, but initially, I learned from watching his interviews and content.”
He elaborated on how St-Pierre`s transparency about his fear, even while facing intimidating opponents, resonated with him.
“He`s like, `Yes, I`m scared. But I`m still going to compete and win.` I admire that honesty and self-awareness in facing your emotions.”
Embracing Fear as Strength
Aspinall now views fear as a kind of “superpower” in his career.
“I openly discuss my fear when I fight,” he added.
“Both GSP and I have spoken about it extensively. While many fighters claim to be fearless, I acknowledge the fear but still step into the fight.”
“I believe that being open about and embracing fear can become a superpower in itself.”
“It`s about saying, `I am scared, but I will do it anyway.`”
