Tom Aspinall has relinquished his Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) heavyweight title due to ongoing complications from eye injuries. The British fighter announced his decision on social media, expressing his deep disappointment.
Aspinall's last fight, a title defense against Ciryl Gane in October of the previous year, concluded as a no-contest after multiple accidental eye pokes. Following the bout, he was diagnosed with Brown's syndrome, a rare condition affecting both eyes, and has undergone several surgeries. Despite these efforts, he has not yet been medically cleared to compete.
"I'm absolutely gutted. I’ve chased this dream since I was 10 years old," Aspinall stated in his social media post. "I’m not done. Stepping away from the title is not stepping away from the sport or the dream. I’ll continue doing everything I can to get healthy, get cleared and get back to competing as soon as possible."
He also highlighted the impact of the fouls that led to his current condition. "What makes this particularly difficult is that many of the complications I’m dealing with are a result of fouls that changed the course of my career. Fighters rely on officials to enforce the rules and protect us in those moments, and it’s hard to still be dealing with the consequences today."
Aspinall revealed that he had experienced further damage to his right eye due to an accident while back in training. "I’ve had multiple surgeries, accidents and infections, and done everything possible to get back to competing," he explained. "I had previously agreed to a fight date and was back sparring, feeling great and ready to compete when an accident caused further damage to my right eye. This means more time away from the sport, and right now, the timing of my return is unclear."
"I’ve now made the decision to vacate the heavyweight title," Aspinall continued. "I’ve asked the UFC to allow me to make this statement because I don’t want to hold the heavyweight division up. I know what it’s like to have your career put on hold and I want the other fighters to have the opportunity to compete for the title."
He had initially resumed training in June with the intention of facing Gane again in September, but this timeline is no longer feasible. Aspinall had previously refuted suggestions of leaving the UFC.
The fight against Gane at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi was stopped in the first round after Gane inadvertently raked his fingers across Aspinall's eyes during an exchange. Despite a timeout and a doctor's assessment, Aspinall was unable to continue, stating, "I can't see." The fight was officially ruled a no-contest.
Gane, in his defense, stated that the eye poke was unintentional and shared his own experience with an eye poke during his fight against Derrick Lewis. Aspinall described the sensation as deeply painful, feeling as though the back of his eyeball had been touched.