Current UFC number six ranked heavyweight contender Tom Aspinall has offered his services to English coach Shaun Wane ahead of the Rugby League World Cup.
The 12 and 3 MMA fighter has rugby league in his blood having been born in Salford. He also has a history with Wane having played alongside him in his younger years.
In an interview on the This is Impact podcast, Aspinall discussed his chance encounter with the England coach and his offer to join the English squad in October.
“I saw Shaun Wane at the train station. Personally, I was going to London to get stitches out of my knee and he was going down for some talks and stuff like that." Aspinall said.
“I said ‘Look, if you want me to have a game when my knee is better, I’ll come back and have a game’ and he was laughing. I said I was being serious and if you want me come do a bit, I’d love to.”
Aspinall suffered a torn MCL and ACL damage in his most recent UFC bout with Curtis 'Razor' Blaydes back in July.
Aspinall continued, “I have played a bit of rugby myself, I’ve never played union, only league. I really enjoy rugby.
“I love fighting. Fighting is my thing. Anything physical, I enjoy it. I’ve been involved in rugby a little bit myself. I still make time to watch it and I enjoy it. I’m a big supporter of any contact sport where you’ve got to put your body and your mind on the line. I like that kind of stuff.
“I’d gladly have a game. I guarantee if I get the ball and I ran at someone full blast, they’re not going to stop me.
"If I get a ball and I’m running at a rugby player who doesn’t know the stuff I know about grappling, I guarantee they won’t get me to the floor.”
Following the release of the podcast, Aspinall doubled down on his potential league cameo on Twitter.
"This is my attempt at getting some MMA fans interested in rugby league World Cup you gang of snowflakes," he wrote.
Aspinall's league lineage can be traced back to his father who had previously worked with the Salford Red Devils and Wigan Warriors.