UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall believes that former World`s Strongest Man Eddie Hall`s next venture into mixed martial arts should be against another formidable “beast,” following Hall`s recent explosive debut.
Just last Saturday, Eddie Hall made his professional MMA debut at KSW 105, stepping into the cage against fellow strongman icon, Mariusz Pudzianowski.
Hall impressively finished Pudzianowski within the opening 30 seconds of the first round, securing a highlight-reel knockout victory in his very first professional MMA bout. However, the win sparked some controversy, as Pudzianowski alleged that Hall had cheated during the fight.
Hall, known as `The Beast,` later acknowledged that he had accidentally landed several strikes to the back of his opponent`s head, though he maintained it was unintentional.
Despite the controversy, Pudzianowski seemingly accepted Hall`s explanation, stating that on that particular day, the Brit was simply the better fighter, even with Pudzianowski`s significant prior experience in MMA.
Tom Aspinall on who Eddie Hall should fight next
In preparation for his highly anticipated MMA debut, Eddie Hall had trained extensively with none other than UFC interim heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall.
Aspinall shared his immediate reaction to Hall’s dominant performance, jokingly congratulating his training partner online with a humorous meme.
Following such a viral and attention-grabbing first fight, fans have been debating who Hall might face next, with some even floating the idea of a massive clash against Francis Ngannou.
Despite speculation about high-profile opponents, it is widely considered more probable that Hall will participate in another “freakshow” style matchup. He has already received challenges from two influencers whom he defeated in a 2-on-1 fight last year.
Adding his perspective after reflecting further on Hall’s swift 30-second win, Aspinall proposed a potential opponent for the strongman.
In a video posted on his YouTube channel, Aspinall commented, “Eddie Hall is like 150 kilos (330lbs). If that guy punches you, and I have been punched by Eddie Hall, at 150 odd kilos, it’s not very pleasant.”
He continued, “I’ve seen Pudzianowski fight live a couple of times and I wasn’t impressed, but that isn’t taking away from Eddie. Eddie’s a beginner and he’s gone in and done that, so, fair play.”
Aspinall, who describes himself as an MMA purist who appreciates technical skill but still watches such bouts, suggested, “I’m a bit of an MMA purist so I like to see skills in there, but I still watch it, so I think he should maybe fight someone, maybe, Brian Shaw, someone like that, some big beast that’s gonna swing as well.”
Who is Brian Shaw?
Brian Shaw is also a former World’s Strongest Man winner and is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished strength athletes of all time.
Following a highly successful career in strongman competitions, Shaw publicly set a goal to become the ‘Most Dangerous Man on Earth’ and subsequently began training in MMA.
Although the American has yet to compete professionally in the cage, he has been dedicated to training in the sport for several years. Notably, he and Hall were at one point scheduled to face each other in a World’s Strongest Man themed MMA tournament planned for 2024, but the event was ultimately canceled.
