The UFC heavyweight champion says another setback to his injured right eye has left him unable to receive medical clearance, prompting him to step aside while insisting his fighting career is not over.
Tom Aspinall’s reign as UFC heavyweight champion has come to an unexpected end.
Aspinall announced Sunday night that he has officially vacated the UFC heavyweight championship as ongoing complications with his eyes continue to prevent him from being medically cleared to compete.
The decision comes nearly 11 months after his championship bout against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 in October 2025 ended in a first-round No Contest following an accidental eye poke that left Aspinall unable to continue.
What initially appeared to be a frustrating ending to a highly anticipated heavyweight title fight has since developed into a far more serious situation.
Aspinall has undergone multiple procedures while dealing with lingering problems from the injuries. More recently, however, the 33-year-old revealed that he had actually progressed far enough in his recovery to return to sparring and had even agreed to a date for his next fight.
Then came another setback.
According to Tom Aspinall, an accident caused further damage to his right eye, once again putting his return on hold.
“Anything you read in the media is simply noise. People are creating their own narratives,” Aspinall wrote in a statement. “This is the truth: Ongoing complications with my eyes mean I cannot get medically cleared to fight right now.”
Aspinall said he has dealt with multiple surgeries, accidents and infections during his attempt to return to competition.
“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,” he explained. “This means more time away from the sport, and right now, the timing of my return is unclear.”
Aspinall Chooses Not to Hold Up the Heavyweight Division
With no clear timetable for receiving medical clearance, Aspinall has decided that remaining champion is no longer fair to the rest of the heavyweight division.
“I’ve now made the decision to vacate the heavyweight title,” Aspinall said. “I’ve asked the UFC to allow me to make this statement because I don’t want to hold the heavyweight division up.”
For Aspinall, the decision carries an additional layer of significance.
His own career was previously stalled while waiting for the UFC heavyweight championship picture to move forward during Jon Jones’ reign. Aspinall spent a lengthy period as interim champion before eventually being elevated to undisputed champion following Jones’ retirement.
Now facing an uncertain absence of his own, Aspinall does not want the division’s other contenders placed in a similar position.
“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 said.
His announcement arrived just one day after UFC CEO Dana White publicly acknowledged that the promotion was preparing to address Aspinall’s championship status.
“We’ll definitely be talking about that,” White said following the Zuffa Boxing event. “I don’t know personally where he is health-wise with everything, but we should clear that up soon.”
Aspinall ultimately made the decision himself.
A Championship Reign Without an Official Victory
The circumstances leave Aspinall with one of the more unusual championship reigns in UFC heavyweight history.
Aspinall captured the interim heavyweight championship with a first-round knockout of Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 in November 2023. He then defended the interim belt against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in Manchester, needing only 60 seconds to score another knockout.
Following Jon Jones’ retirement, Aspinall was elevated to undisputed heavyweight champion.
His first defense of the undisputed championship came against Gane at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi.
It lasted less than one round.
Gane’s fingers made contact with Aspinall’s eyes during the opening round, leaving the champion unable to see well enough to continue. The bout was subsequently declared a No Contest.
Aspinall has not fought since.
Because the Gane fight produced no official winner, Aspinall now relinquishes the undisputed championship without recording an official victory during that portion of his title reign — despite previously defending the interim championship in dominant fashion.
“I’m Absolutely Gutted”
Giving up the championship Tom Aspinall spent much of his life pursuing was clearly not an easy decision.
“I’m absolutely gutted. I’ve chased this dream since I was 10 years old,” Aspinall wrote.
But there was one point he wanted to make unmistakably clear.
This is not a retirement announcement.
“I’m not done,” Aspinall continued. “Stepping away from the title is not stepping away from the sport or the dream.”
His focus will now shift entirely toward recovering, receiving medical clearance and eventually returning to competition.
“I’ll continue doing everything I can to get healthy, get cleared and get back to competing as soon as possible,” he said.
Aspinall also acknowledged the frustration of knowing that the medical problems threatening his career can be traced back to what happened inside the Octagon.
“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,” Aspinall said. “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.”
What Happens to the UFC Heavyweight Championship?
Aspinall’s departure immediately creates a major question at the top of the heavyweight division.
Ciryl Gane currently holds the interim UFC heavyweight championship after defeating Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 in June.
The UFC has not yet announced whether Gane will automatically be elevated to undisputed champion or whether he will be required to compete for the vacant belt.
Either way, the heavyweight division can now move forward without waiting for Aspinall’s medical situation to be resolved.
For Aspinall, however, the championship appears to be unfinished business rather than a closed chapter.
He waited years to reach the top of the heavyweight division, only to see his first undisputed title defense end through an eye injury and his comeback derailed by further complications.
Now the belt will move on without him.
Whether Aspinall eventually gets the opportunity to chase it again will depend on something far more important than rankings, matchmaking or championship politics.
First, he needs his eyes to heal.
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