Mohammed Mokaev believes Andy Aspinall, father of Tom Aspinall, can compete against UFC ranked fighters.
Mokaev and Aspinall will meet on July 27 in their hometown of Manchester, England, at UFC 304, the tournament’s return to the city for the first time in eight years. Mokaev will face Manel Kape in the flyweight division, while Aspinall will face Curtis Blaydes in the co-main event at the Co-op Live Arena for the interim heavyweight title.
Mokaev and Aspinall, both elite mixed martial artists from the same area, have known each other for a long time. When Mokaev was training in Wigan, he first met Aspinall and his father Andy, who were coaches at another gym. Mokaev revealed that “Honey Badger” was working as a security guard in a pub at the time and would drive him home after training.
“Well, I met Tom Aspinall. He was coaching a kids’ session, and then the next session his dad was coaching an adult session. And when Tom’s session was over, he was working as a bouncer in a pub,” Mokaev told Title Sports Network. “And when he finished this session, he dropped me off in the town centre, which is close to where I live, and then Tom worked until 3am, and then I’d walk home. So he gave me a ride for about three or four years. He was coaching the sessions. [I was in].”
Mokaev also praised Aspinall’s father, who quit his job to teach Tom Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu when he was 12. Mokaev said Andy could face a UFC-ranked fighter right now because his Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu style translates well to mixed martial arts.
“Tom is a good fighter, his father is a great guy, I think he can go to the UFC and fight the top 15 straight away,” Mokaev said. “I think he can put on some really good pressure. British jiu-jitsu fighters have a different style, but Andy [a style] He’s actually a good fit for MMA. I like his style, the control, the pressure.”
