Tom Aspinall is set to continue his rise up the heavyweight division with a tough fight against Curtis Blaydes at UFC London. The two are both firmly in the hunt for a heavyweight title shot and this fight is very important.

When the UFC called Tom Aspinall with an offer to fight in the main event in London, the choice was easy. Curtis Blaydes is a big-name opponent and is the perfect step up for the Englishman.

“If they’re coming back to the U.K., obviously I’m not going to miss that opportunity,” UFC heavyweight Aspinall told Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour. “That night in March, that was something special and if we have the opportunity to do anything even close to that again, I want to be a part of it. Why would I not? Why would I not want to be a part of something like that? I’m not going to pass that opportunity up, so we got it again. We’re going again. July 23, Aspinall vs. Blaydes, in the big smoke, in the O2 Arena, London, England, what more could you want?”

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Curtis Blaydes is not an easy fight though and Tom Aspinall was very honest about the matchup with the wrestler. The main event of UFC London is going to be a very big test for the Englishman.

“Curtis Blaydes is probably the toughest fight in the division for me stylistically,” Aspinall said. “But I’m okay with that because that pushes me to a whole new level. That pushes me to levels I’ve never been before, and that’s what I need. If I’m with someone that’s going to make me comfortable, I’m going to stay exactly where I am and do the exact same work that I’ve been doing. If you’re going to give me someone that I think is a scary fight and you’re going to give me fear, you don’t want to see me scared, because I end up doing stuff like I did in the O2 the time I fought. I end up doing some crazy stuff that I’ve never done before. So me with a massive fight with a really tough guy, that’s dangerous. That’s dangerous for any heavyweight.”