Tom Aspinall may be sidelined longer than expected.
After losing a year of his career to circumstances outside the cage, the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion returned to a nightmare scenario against Ciryl Gane. Their UFC 321 headliner in October ended abruptly in Round 1 when an accidental double eye-poke left Aspinall unable to continue. The bout was ruled a no-contest, and the champion was taken directly to a nearby Abu Dhabi hospital.
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Speaking to media afterward, UFC CEO Dana White confirmed the hospitalization and said a rematch would happen. But what truly bothered Aspinall was White’s claim that he chose not to continue — and that the two had spoken.
“Slightly disappointing, because he hadn’t spoke to me,” Aspinall told Uncrowned’s “The Ariel Helwani Show” Tuesday in his first interview since UFC 321. “He was already giving updates on my health, and he had no idea what was going on. Disappointing, mate. Disappointing.
“It definitely didn’t help the cause [in regards to post-fight community backlash].”
More than a month since the incident, Aspinall says he still hasn’t heard from White directly and he doesn’t expect to. In general, he hasn’t felt supported by the promotion.
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“I’ve spoken to the UFC since, but I’ve not spoken to Dana,” Aspinall said. “Me and Dana don’t really speak like that anyway, so no. Ever.
“Not really [surprising]. I’ve said hello here and there, but I don’t really have a relationship with Dana. I have a relationship with [UFC CBO] Hunter [Campbell].
“I don’t really know what to say. That’s the way it is. [White] started giving updates that there was nothing wrong with my eye, when that isn’t the case. So I’ve done a lot for the UFC. Disappointing.”
A common injury in situations like this is a corneal abrasion — something former champion Belal Muhammad suffered in his first fight with Leon Edwards. Aspinall hasn’t yet confirmed whether that’s what he’s dealing with, but the damage to both eyes is severe enough that surgery on both eyes is still on the table, Aspinall said.
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For now, the champion is limited to light weightlifting and cardio. He’s experiencing persistent double vision and dizziness with quick movements. With only one asterisked fight since July 2024, his return timeline remains unclear.
“Obviously, I want to get back as soon as possible,” Aspinall said. “That’s the plan, but I’m also aware that with eyes, you’ve got to be careful.
“They don’t really know when I’m going to be back at the moment. I’m still not cleared to train or do anything. They’re talking about doing surgery on both eyes. I have to get an injection in the eyeball soon. So I’m not looking forward to that. I don’t really know at this point.”
Aspinall’s run atop the division hasn’t lacked drama. After capturing interim gold against Sergei Pavlovich in November 2023, he defended his interim belt against Curtis Blaydes while the MMA world waited for a unification bout with Jon Jones. That fight never materialized. Instead, Jones retired this past summer, elevating Aspinall to undisputed champion.
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During that stretch, Aspinall became a fan-favorite. But the fallout from the Gane fight — despite Gane causing the foul — has shifted the public perception. The champion remains baffled.
“We put the doctor’s reports out recently, which has been a bit of a whirlwind, to be honest with you,” Aspinall said. “I know there are a lot of haters out there, of course. This is professional sport at the highest level, we have haters. But when the eye-poke happened — obviously, eye-pokes happen all the time, unfortunately — everything went on from there. Went to the hospital, returned home. Didn’t even check my phone or nothing for a while. Then I realized, ‘Oh s***, people genuinely think that I faked this.’
“Did people actually see the replay of what happened? Because that was f***ing a full-on eye-poke. Why are people thinking I’m faking this after everything I’ve been through to get there? I left it quiet a while — I thought, ‘I’m going to get all the doctor’s notes included.’ I’ve been through loads and loads of tests for weeks. I’ve literally been in the hospital two or three times getting different tests. Then I come up with a doctor’s report, and then people are like, ‘He’s f***ing crying about it, he’s doing a media tour on it, he’s milking it.’
“Bro, if you don’t believe the eye-poke, and you don’t believe the doctor’s reports, what are we doing? I didn’t make this s*** up. Go watch the replay. Check out the doctor’s report. I’m at the point where you cannot please these guys. These guys are f***ing losers, man. These guys are crazy haters that got nothing good going in their life, obviously.”
The critics don’t stop with fans. Jones himself recently chimed in during a Dirty Boxing fight week interview in Nashville, arguing that Aspinall has shown himself to be a quitter when adversity hits — referencing Aspinall’s previous injuries, including the 15-second ACL tear against Blaydes.
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To Aspinall, it’s nothing more than trolling.
“Good for him, man. Good for him,” Aspinall said. “I thought this guy was the GOAT. Focus on yourself, bro. You’re retired. Just do your own thing if you’re so much better than everybody else. Just go and enjoy yourself. Don’t worry about what I’m doing.
“I was trying to get a fight with him. I realized that’s not going to happen. Jon’s just doing some damage to himself out there, so I’ll let him do his thing.”
Jones revealed he initially agreed to the UFC’s $30 million offer to fight Aspinall before backing out. Aspinall has no hard feelings — but also no hesitation about if he would have accepted similar terms.
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“I feel like I’ve just spent enough energy talking about Jon Jones. It’s a waste of time,” Aspinall said.
“$30 million? I wouldn’t find $30 mil, mate. I’ll take that. I was getting nowhere near that.”
