At UFC London, Mick Parkin, Tom Aspinall’s teammate, experienced his first career loss due to a decision that many considered controversial.
UFC events in London often feature Tom Aspinall, but this time he was not on the card.
The interim heavyweight champion is still waiting for a title unification fight with Jon Jones, which is currently being negotiated.
Despite not fighting, Aspinall was present at the O2 Arena to support his undefeated teammate, Mick Parkin, as he faced Marcin Tybura in a significant fight.
Tom Aspinall’s Stunned Reaction to the Parkin vs Tybura Result
UFC London included several judging decisions that sparked controversy, and the heavyweight fight was one of them.
The first round between Parkin and Tybura was close. In the second round, Parkin increased pressure and nearly finished his experienced opponent.
The third round was also tightly contested, but many UFC fans believed Parkin had done enough to win.
Aspinall, watching from the front row, was visibly stunned when Bruce Buffer announced the result. Aspinall felt Parkin had won either all three rounds or at least two.
“I think he won it, I think he won two rounds to one if not all three. Maybe he lost the first, but he definitely got the second two,” Aspinall commented immediately after the fight.
“Oh no, man. I thought Mick won. I really thought Mick won it. That’s MMA, I guess, but I thought Mick won,” a surprised Aspinall said after the official decision.
Shortly after, Aspinall went backstage to speak with his teammate and hear Parkin’s thoughts on the fight.
“I thought you won, but maybe I’m biased,” Aspinall told Parkin.
“Yeah, I did, but it’s experience, isn’t it?” Parkin replied.
“I think you did really well, this was a massive step up, absolutely no joke… I think you did really good, he’s no joke that guy.”
“When I heard it was a unanimous decision 29-28, I thought, ‘Oh, it’s Mick all day’. I thought there’s no way it isn’t a Parkin win,” Aspinall added.
Aspinall Disappointed by Leon Edwards’ Loss
Although Leon Edwards is not his teammate, Aspinall and Edwards both rose to prominence around the same time and became friends after sharing the UFC 304 event in Manchester.
Unfortunately for the British fans, Edwards was dominated by Sean Brady in the main event and lost by submission in the fourth round.
Aspinall, along with many fans who started leaving the arena early, was very disappointed by Edwards’ loss.
“Domination from Sean Brady, gutted for Leon, really gutted for him. The whole place is emptying, look, everyone’s leaving. I feel like leaving myself,” Aspinall said about Edwards’ defeat.
