Interim UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has said in the past that he doesn't intend on sticking around in the sport to achieve a long-lasting run and legacy. The Brit wants to make as much money possible in the fastest time before leaving with his health.
This means that he's going to need something to occupy his time once his fighting days are over and though he's in no rush to walk away right now, an opportunity did recently arise. At the WWE's recent live tour of the UK, one half of TKO Group Holdings collided with the other.
Aspinall was brought into the ring in Manchester, in the same venue where he stopped Curtis Blaydes in July, to step through the ropes and stand side-by-side with WWE champions Cody Rhodes and Gunther.
In a recent interview with SafestCasinoSites, Aspinall reflected on the experience and whether stepping inside a WWE ring would be something that appeals to him once he's finishing with his fighting career.
The champion started by talking about other areas that he would like to explore once he retires, including punditry and analyst work which he currently does for TNT Sports in the UK. However, pro wrestling helps to give him the same adrenaline rush that competing inside the Octagon satisfies.
Absolutely, mate. That’s what I want to do in my post-fighting career. I’ve got my show on TNT Sports now, so I like the punditry side as well. I’m very passionate about MMA, it’s been my life for as long as I can remember. I like to think that I know more about MMA than most and I can offer some kind of knowledge and breakdown to people who don’t understand MMA as well as I do. I think I’ve definitely got that to offer and I think I do that well, it’s something I enjoy and something that I want to continue to do.
"But WWE is something new and exciting for me as well. I really enjoyed it, it’s a buzz. It’s another way to get out there in front of an audience and do something not quite as dangerous, but still get the thrill. I don’t know, I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. I’ve still got a lot that I want to do in my MMA career. I’m not saying that I want to hang up the gloves just yet, but I’d be lying if I said that I didn’t enjoy it. I enjoyed the whole thing.