Athletes
Michael Aswell Jr. Understands The Assignment
Texas-Born Michael Aswell Jr. Looks Forward To Playing Spoiler Against Luke Riley At UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs Murphy
Michael Aswell Jr. isn’t unfamiliar with playing the b-side of a matchup. Five months ago, he went into his second UFC bout in enemy territory, facing Brazilian featherweight Lucas Almeida in Rio de Janeiro with his back against the wall after dropping his debut to Bolaji Oki in May. Despite all of that, Aswell Jr. marched forward and steamrolled Almeida inside two minutes of the first round.
Aswell Jr. carries the memory of his first UFC win, particularly being with his coaches and team during his first trip to Brazil. When he got the call to face Liverpool’s Luke Riley at UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs Murphy in London, he understands the assignment and knows what to expect when he walks into the O2 Arena on March 21.
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“I mean, I think the walk is going to be very (energetic),” Aswell Jr. told UFC.com. “Regardless of its cheers or boos, it's still that same vibrations, still the same vibes. Regardless, we're going to take it all in. We're going to use it, and we're going to make that walk. That's one of the best parts about this job is being able to make that walk and see your goals and see your visions ahead as you look at the cage and you walk towards the cage and know that what you're about to go do.”
The Houston-native recalled advice of his late-coach Saul Soliz to “travel the world on someone else’s dime,” so it’s safe to say Aswell Jr. is drinking it all in ahead of fight night.
On top of the chance to fight across the pond, he’ll make one of the final walks of the night as he and Riley make up the co-main event, which came as a surprise to many, including Aswell Jr., his friends, and his coaches at 4oz. Fight Club.
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“The whole internet went to a frenzy like, ‘No way that these people were the co-main,’” Aswell Jr. recalled. “My friends, even my coaches were — the only coach was Chico, and he was like, ‘You're going to be co-main.’ And all my other coaches (were) like, ‘You're not going to be co-main. They're going to change you. They're going to change it.’”
Michael Aswell Jr. Punches His Way To Round 1 TKO Finish | UFC Rio
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Michael Aswell Jr. Punches His Way To Round 1 TKO Finish | UFC Rio
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It wasn’t until UFC contacted him to do media rounds in Houston that he realized a mistake wasn’t made and he would fight in the penultimate bout of the night, something Aswell Jr. calls a “blessing.”
Granted, a big reason for their positioning is the hype around his opponent. Riley, an undefeated knockout artist who trains alongside Paddy Pimblett at Next Generation MMA in Liverpool, is one of the buzziest prospects in 2026. All that means for Aswell Jr., though, is more eyeballs and more people who he can turn into fans. He respects Riley, but he also believes he has everything in his locker to come away from London with another finish under his belt.
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“At the end of the day, we're both human,” he said. “We both put on our pants one leg at a time, and I'm gonna go in there, and I'm going to do me, and that's it.”
“I hope that people just see who I am as a fighter, as a man, and see the heart and determination, and just know that (it) doesn't matter where you come from, what you've been through. (If) you put your mind to something, you tell yourself you're going to do something, if you put in the work and you keep your head down, you can do it.”
UFC Fight Night: Evloev vs Murphy took place live from The O2 in London, England On March 21, 2026. See the final Prelim & Main Card Results, Official Scorecards and Who Won Bonuses - and relive the action on UFC FIGHT PASS!
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