UFC Fight Night Aspinall vs. Blaydes came to a shocking end when Tom Aspinall injured his knee 15 seconds into the first round after throwing a kick at Curtis Blaydes on Sunday morning.
Blaydes was awarded the win but it didn’t come across as the statement that both fighters wanted to make a run at the heavyweight rankings of the UFC.
It was the second consecutive event where the UFC’s main event ended prematurely. The previous week, Brian Ortega’s shoulder popped out—also in the first round—to end the main event with Yair Rodriguez being gifted a win.
While injuries are a part of sports, when they suddenly happen and cause a premature end to the match, the reaction can possibly be a mixture of shock and disbelief.
Aspinall will be out for anywhere from two months to longer as he heals from the injury and works his way back to fighting shape. I think we have seen the last of the British fighter in the UFC this year. Expect him to make a comeback in early 2023.
As for Blaydes, since he did not “work” to get a win, instead of coming closer for a title shot, he will need to prove himself once more.
While watching Aspinall wheeled out on a stretcher, I thought back to some injuries that changed the results of a match, series, or even a season.
The top on my list is the shocking death of Ayrton Senna during the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix when he crashed into a concrete barrier. His premature death saw a young German driver, Michael Schumacher, become one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers in history.
Then there was golfer Dustin Johnson’s unfortunate tumble down the stairs one day before the 2017 Masters where he was a consensus favorite to win it after ruling three consecutive top tournaments heading into Augusta.
Sergio Garcia won that Masters, his first major title on his 74th attempt.
I was thinking back then, “You (Garcia) aren’t going to win this if Johnson were around.” Oh, well…
Then there was that Achilles tendon injury to New York Knicks center Patrick Ewing during the 1999 Eastern Conference Finals. The Knicks made it to the National Basketball Association Finals, but Ewing was sorely missed as the San Antonio Spurs’ David Robinson and Tim Duncan overwhelmed a very young Marcus Camby, Chris Dudley, an aging Herb Williams and Larry Johnson.
While we aren’t suggesting that New York would have won outright, Ewing’s presence would have definitely helped the Knicks.
Ewing returned for one last season with the Knicks where they lost to the Pacers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals. A few months later, Ewing was traded to the Seattle Supersonics. New York would have one more good year but would slide into a long spell of mediocrity.
There are many other examples, but these are the three ones that immediately popped into my head when I saw Aspinall crumble to the canvas and Blaydes held his hands out in disbelief.
The next ones I will be thinking of are these—how will Curtis Blaydes translate this gift? And is there a comeback story here for Tom Aspinall?
That’s the beauty of sports—and life—it isn’t over until the fat lady sings.