Step aside Anthony Crolla, Ricky Hatton, Tyson Fury and MMA great Michael Bisping, because there is a new star in town Tom Aspinall.
On two weeks’ notice, the gentle giant from Greater Manchester crossed the Atlantic to face the scariest man in the UFC.
Sergei Pavlovich had finished his previous six opponents by first-round stoppage before he was left tasting the Madison Square Garden canvas inside 70 seconds.
Nurtured in martial arts by his father, Andy, since seven-years-old, over two decades of blood, sweat and tears culminated in the UFC heavyweight title belt being wrapped around Aspinall’s waist.
What is it about the waters around these parts?
“I was thinking about this on the flight back,” he tells M.E.N. Sport. We're very working-class people from the north west. It’s in our DNA.
“I'm from a mining town, we are tough people. Everyone has to graft for what they have.”
Born in Salford and hailing from Atherton, a town pivotal to the Manchester coalfields' output during the Industrial Revolution, Aspinall is as humble as they come.
Nothing personifies modesty more than being back on the school run in the rain just 72 hours after fulfilling his lifelong dream.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 21, 2023 من Manchester Evening News.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة November 21, 2023 من Manchester Evening News.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Labour sends party officials to improve deputy PM's local council
ACTION TAKEN AFTER DAMNING REPORTS INTO TOWN HALL'S CHILDREN'S SERVICES
Noel stops off at the RAVERS RETURN
OASIS STAR MAKES FIRST PUBLIC APPEARANCE SINCE BAND REUNION AT NIGHT TO CELEBRATE ICONIC CLUB
Ten Hag wants a £200k 'privacy wall' at Carrington
ERIK ten Hag has reportedly requested a privacy wall to be built at United's training ground, costing the club £200,000.
"There is no reason to expect any sort of statement after Sir Jim's meeting'
UNITED are yet to clarify Erik ten Hag's future following their executive meeting in London on Tuesday.
ETH says Ugarte needs time but it's hard to develop if he's not playing...
ERIK ten Hag's decision to drop the two central defenders he had worked with previously and pushed to be reunited with at Old Trafford attracted plenty of attention this week, but it wasn't his only surprising selection call.
BEV'S LOOKING TO GO CRAZY!
BEVAN French admits it will be 'a crazy feeling' if he can light up Saturday's Grand Final with another of his freakish tries.
HAALAND ON 'GABGATE' 'What happens on the pitch stays on the pitch'
STRIKER HAS ‘NO REGRETS' OVER THROWING BALL AT GAB
Root: Plenty of runs still to get
JOE Root insists there are 'many more runs left to get' overhauling Sir Alastair Cook to become England's record Test run-scorer.
'Local Retail Champions make our communities better places to live'
LOTTERY OPERATOR ‘EXCITED' TO RECOGNISE RETAILERS, SAYS ALLWYN CEO ANDRIA VIDLER
Badenoch or Jenrick to lead Conservatives
ROBERT Jenrick and Kemi Badenoch will go head-to-head in the final heat of the Conservative Party leadership contest, after James Cleverly was knocked out in the latest round of voting.
