An undefeated heavyweight is not worried about giving the champion insight into his game.
The heavyweight division has been going through a difficult period in the UFC. A thinning pool of top contenders and accusations of Jon Jones holding the belt hostage before his retirement dealt blows to the weight class.
Things did not improve in the first title fight in almost 12 months, as Tom Aspinall’s UFC 321 defense ended in disaster after Ciryl Gane’s eye poke left him unable to continue in round one, resulting in a no-contest.
But while things haven’t been going well toward the division’s upper echelon, a few names have been making waves lower down. That includes one unbeaten prospect who has been learning from Aspinall behind the scenes despite his hope to replace him on the throne down the line.
LATEST NEWS: Who should Islam Makhachev fight next? UFC superstar wins Bloody Elbow fan vote by a landslide Who is the pound-for-pound best fighter in MMA? UFC heavyweight Mario Pinto sees value in sharing knowledge with champion Tom Aspinall Mario Pinto has emerged as one of the leading prospects in the UFC heavyweight division, having extended his perfect professional record to 11-0 through two fights inside the Octagon to date.
After earning a contract on Dana White’s Contender Series in 2024 and debuting in style by finishing Austen Lane, Pinto knocked out Jhonata Diniz at UFC Rio in October to continue building hype behind his name.
While the bulk of Pinto’s training is in London, he has frequently joined the collection of heavyweight powerhouses who train alongside Tom Aspinall at Evolution Fitness XL in Manchester.
Some fighters might shy away from hitting the mats with the champion in a division they are looking to reach the top of. Pinto, however, told Bloody Elbow in a recent interview that he sees value in exchanging knowledge with his fellow UFC heavyweight.
“Even out of camp, I like to go there,” Pinto said. “Just to share some knowledge.
“[Aspinall’s] got so many good guys there…former PFL champion Ante Delija, he’s got Martin Buday…Phil De Fries, who’s been undefeated for how long?
“There’s a lot of room to grow there, and to learn, and share knowledge with people,” he added.
When asked at what point UFC heavyweight peers like Aspinall turn from training partners he can learn from to legitimate rivals, Pinto responded by reiterating his belief that only good things can come from putting work in with the best his weight class has to offer.
“You make that decision where you agree with each other,” Pinto stated.
“Right now, it’s just to learn; to learn and grow from each other…you’ve gotta get the most out of each other.
“[Aspinall] might not be there when I get up there, you know? I hope not!
“I think there’s a lot more value in what we can gain from each other. That’s sometimes a problem, where teammates who are in the same division…they’re just like, ‘I’ve gotta watch out for him.’ You hinder each other…it gets awkward.
“You get the most out of helping each other, especially for UK fighters or European fighters. We need to help each other so we can beat the rest of the world.”
CHECK IT OUT: Head here for all things Mario PintoTom Aspinall and Ante Delija have upset Dana White by ruling out a fight in the UFCGiven that Pinto is not a mainstay at Aspinall’s gym, their time training together won’t pose the same issues as the champ’s connection to another name in the UFC heavyweight division.
Ahead of his clash with Gane in October, Aspinall said he’d refuse to fight Delija, his leading training partner. That left Dana White frustrated, as the UFC president bemoaned teammates who opt against facing one another inside the Octagon.
But White’s criticism did not appear to make the pair budge, as Delija shared his training partner’s sentiment by insisting he would not challenge Aspinall for the heavyweight title.
The Croatian’s rise toward the top ended up being stalled earlier this month anyway, as he fell to a controversial knockout loss to Waldo Cortes-Acosta at the UFC Apex.
Pinto, meanwhile, would seem to have some work to do before he enters the conversation.
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