Tom Aspinall explains disappointment over UFC London atmosphere

UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has expressed his disappointment over the atmosphere at UFC London.

When the Ultimate Fighting Championship rolls up to London, England, fans are often expected to show up in a big way. From a big card to an atmosphere that shows off why these crowds are so incredible, the expectations are always high. Sometimes, they deliver. Sometimes, however, things fall a bit flat, as was the case when the promotion decided to put on fights at US primetime last year.

RELATED: Tom Aspinall provides positive update on possible Jon Jones fight

UFC London wasn’t exactly what you’d call a home run this year. From disappointing bouts to a main event that took the air out of the room, it’s easy to see why there was frustration. After all, fans pay through the nose for these tickets, and they’re often not gifted with the kinds of fights that warrant that price tag.

In a recent interview, Tom Aspinall weighed in on the situation as someone who was there in attendance.

Aspinall’s view on UFC London

“To be honest, I feel like U.K. MMA needed a big night at The O2,” Aspinall said on “The Ariel Helwani Show.” “I was looking through the card top to bottom, and obviously there’s a lot of names on there, U.K. guys, that people worldwide won’t be familiar with. But I know them because I’ve seen them come up on the local scene through Cage Warriors and all the rest of it.

“There were a couple of matchups on there where I was like these aren’t the best-known guys in the world, but this is going to be a banger, and it’s going to bring some excitement. And to be honest with you, it was just flat as hell in The O2 Arena on Saturday night. I was quite disappointed because I don’t know, we needed something.”

Quotes via MMA Junkie

If the UFC does decide to return to the UK next year, which it seems like they will, they need to put on a better card. Oh, and they should probably consider reducing the ticket prices, too.

What did you make of this year’s UFC London card? Would you have paid good money to go and see it? Let us know your thoughts, BJPENN Nation!