With Tom Aspinall now a few months into being the undisputed champion in his class, the discussion of where he sits among ‘the best of all time’ is well and truly underway, and if you ask one fellow MMA pro, he’s already “the greatest heavyweight” in the history of the UFC.
If you ask us, we’d still like to see the now highly unlikely fight between him and Jon Jones, just to have it on record, but we have no shame in admitting we lean towards our Greater Manchester bias.
Nevertheless, these are bold claims made by fighting peer Ian Machado ‘The Future’ Garry, who touched on the Atherton-born in a recent interview.
He had plenty of big words about his own potential bout against outspoken American competitor, Sean Brady, but also spent some time sharing his reverence for Tom ‘Honey Bagder’ Aspinall. It’s not the first time he’s shared his fandom either.
Speaking to GamesHub ahead of the local athlete’s next match-up against Ciryl Gane, Garry said simply: “Tom Aspinall sparks him. I don’t see that fight getting out of the first round, right? I think Tom is phenomenal.
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“I think he’s absolutely the best heavyweight we’ve ever seen in the UFC, and now he’s got the belt, he is the champion.”
Aspinall is set to take on the 35-year-old next month in Abu Dhabi, and was met with a somewhat surprising chorus of boos when he appeared at the most recent Fight Night in Paris last week.
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Then again, you could argue it was nothing more than a crowd full of Gane’s compatriots backing the Frenchman; either way, the Wigan warrior didn’t let it faze him much, simply allowing his native opponent to take the spotlight and largely shrugging off the reaction.
On the other hand, his attendance at the Accor Arena wasn’t entirely negative, as he was able to watch his Croatian teammate, Ante Delija, win on his UFC debut – the reaction to which saw Aspinall painted in a much more favourable light.
We’re sure these emotional scenes won over a few new fans.
Once again, Tom Apsinall will face Ciryl Gane in just a matter of weeks and is still being heavily considered the favourite – but is there a chance the underdog could surprise and deliver a shock result against the Manc mauler and reigning heavyweight champ?
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As for Garry, the Irishman may not be on the fight card for UFC 321 on October 25, but it’s clear he’s pushing to book a date with ‘ducking’ Brady, going on to tell the outlet: “I’m in a position where I have proven time and time again that I’ll fight anyone, anywhere, anytime, and I’m as game as game gets.
“So I want it publicly announced that if me and Sean Brady are fighting, it’s the number one contender fight. So Sean Brady should shut up and let me do all the heavy lifting, and he just needs to show up on fight night and lose. I have never ducked anyone in my life and I never will.”
What do you think: is Tom Aspinall the greatest heavyweight the UFC has ever seen, and if not, would you really want him to humour the rather bizarre notion of putting him to the test against Jon Jones, even though Dana White has already ruled him out?…
Featured Images — @C0MB4TT (via X)/TNT Sports (screenshot)/Hftrt275 (via WikiCommons)
Sport
adidas announces in-store trivia night and meet & greet to celebrate ADIDAS Z.N.E. x MAN UTD collection
Daisy Jackson
The Manchester adidas store will once again be welcoming in shoppers this week for way more than your regular shopping experience, announcing an in-store trivia night, rewards and entertainment this week.
To celebrate the ADIDAS Z.N.E. x MAN UTD collection, there’ll be a foosball table in store all week, a fast-paced sport-themed quiz night, and the chance to snag a free football scarf as a gift with purchase.
There’ll even be an unmissable player meet and greet with Manchester United players.
The collection itself embraces an athletic silhouette, premium materials, and a head-to-toe colour block, with a range of joggers, hoodies and t-shirts all featuring a modern blackout crest and the iconic three-stripe logo.
Each piece in the collection also has a graphic line detail that represents the markings on the football pitches and sports grounds we all know and love.
The ADIDAS Z.N.E. x MAN UTD collection is crafted with a unique 3D material construction, incorporating Primeknit fabric as well as cotton yams.
They’re soft to the touch, and perfect for throwing on after your workout or going out in the warmer weather.
There’s something for men and women in the collection.
It’s all rooted in the sense of belonging that being part of sport creates, and that means adidas are once again putting on a series of events in store to bring Mancs together.
The ADIDAS Z.N.E. x MAN UTD collection in ManchesterThe ADIDAS Z.N.E. x MAN UTD collection in Manchester
All week you’ll see the collection taking over the windows of the Market Street store – and if you head inside, you can challenge your mates to a casual or competitive foosball match.
There’ll also be an ADIDAS Z.N.E. X MAN UTD Football Scarf available as a gift with purchase from 29 September until 5 October.
And on 1 October, adidas will be hosting an ADIDAS Z.N.E. X MAN UTD Trivia night – blending the camaraderie of a classic pub quiz with the drama and stakes of a classic game show.
Teams will go head-to-head across a variety of themed quiz rounds, with a dramatic finale at the end, hosted by content creator and presenter Joe Thomlinson.
The store will also host an unmissable player meet and greet with Manchester United players.
The news of these events comes hot on the heels of the recent adidas Superstar relaunch activation, which has seen Mancs claiming free welded bracelets and ear piercings in-store over the weekend.
Head into the adidas Market Street store any day this week to claim your adidas x Man UTD football scarf gift-with-purchase, or if you want to attend the ADIDAS Z.N.E. X MAN UTD Trivia event on 1 October, sign up to attend via the adidas confirmed app HERE.
The UK’s only football shirt themed vintage fair is in Manchester this weekend
Daisy Jackson
An enormous vintage fair dedicated to football shirts is landing in Manchester this weekend, packed with more than 35 traders.
The Retro Football Fair is set to take over Diecast near Manchester Piccadilly for a huge celebration of all things footbal.
Expect rail upon rail of vintage football shirts, as well as stalls selling artwork, memorabilia, cards, and loads more.
The event comes from Retro Football Shirts, a business that sources and sells retro and rare football shirts.
The business is owned by Tom Rainsford, who started the journey back in 2018 by selling a few jerseys on Depop – fast forward a few years and it’s now a global website selling jerseys from across UK, European and international teams.
Retro Football Fair is another string to the business’s bow and has been attracting thousands of football fans at every event.
The UK’s only football shirt themed vintage fair is in Manchester this weekend
Now it’s Manchester’s turn, with the huge vintage fair filling Diecast with thousands of retro football shirts on Sunday 28 September.
While the main attraction is those kits, the fair welcomes any trader selling items related to the beautiful game – so you’ll find all sorts of footy-related items on sale here.
The event will kick off at midday and run until 5pm – tickets cost £5 and are available HERE, or on the door.
Manchester City or Manchester United season ticket holders can claim 20% off the full ticket price.
Danny Jones -
9th September 2025 
