Tom Aspinall vacates UFC heavyweight title due to ‘ongoing’ complications with eye injury
The New York Times • • sports
Key Points:
- Tom Aspinall has vacated the UFC heavyweight title due to ongoing complications from an eye injury, having not fought since an October 2025 no contest against Ciryl Gane caused by an eye poke.
- The 33-year-old fighter, who inherited the belt from Jon Jones, revealed he has Brown’s syndrome in both eyes, a rare condition limiting eye movement, and has undergone multiple surgeries and setbacks.
- Aspinall had agreed to a fight date and returned to training in June but suffered further damage to his right eye during sparring, delaying his return with no clear timeline for recovery.
- Despite relinquishing the title, Aspinall emphasized he is not leaving the sport and remains committed to regaining health and competing again.
- Ciryl Gane, the interim heavyweight champion, has called for a rematch in Paris, to which Aspinall responded positively, indicating willingness to fight when medically cleared.
