Wigan's UFC heavyweight hero spurred on by 'guilt' ahead of O2 return

The 30-year-old - who hails from Atherton, and has coached Jiu Jitsu at Elite Fitness Factory in Wigan, the gym owned by his Team Kaobon mate Mike Grundy - faces Polish veteran Marcin Tybura on Saturday at London's O2 Arena.

It will be one day short of a year since Aspinall suffered a serious knee injury just seconds into his headline contest against American Curtis Blaydes at the same venue.

Ahead of the opportunity to exorcise a few demons, Aspinall admits the memory of short-changing the huge number of friends and family who travelled all the way down from the north west still eats away at him.

“When you’re from where I’m from, London might as well be freakin’ Mars,” he said. “Going to watch an event at the O2 in London as someone from the north west of England, where not a lot goes on, is a big deal, very expensive.

"There were a lot of people from my area — and I’m talking thousands of people, not like a couple of people, thousands of people — who made the trip down and saved up for months, and I mean months, in advance.

"They’re from the north west of England, where the average pay-rate is not very high, and it’s a massive trip for people to go to London and watch and support someone in the O2.

“The injury couldn’t have been helped, but I still take that massive guilt on.

"I’ve got to show up on the 22nd of July and show everybody this is why you stuck with me, and this is why you were there, and it’s all part of the journey, and it’s going to come good.”

Aspinall won't have it all his own way against 37-year-old Tybura, who is in the best form of his seven-year UFC stint, with an impressive seven wins from his last eight fights.

However, Aspinall – who is defending an MMA record of 12-3-0 – is fiercely determined to do what it takes to propel himself back into the title picture.

“He's got me at the worst time he could ever get me because I am unbelievably hungry right now,” Aspinall told UFC.com. “I am ready to show everybody that I am just the next heavyweight champion.

"Honestly. I’m ready to show everybody what I’m all about.

“I feel like I’ve been locked down for a year from doing what I love.

“I want that freedom again. I want to get in there and express myself and show everybody this is what I’ve been working on.

"Let’s not forget about me. I’m not the guy that falls over with a sore leg after 15 seconds. I want to go out there and show everyone what I’m all about.

"I think I want to feel free because that’s the feeling I love. Just freedom.”