UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has vacated his title due to ongoing complications from an eye injury he sustained during his match with Ciryl Gane last year.
The 33-year-old British fighter shared the news on Instagram, explaining, “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.” Aspinall stated that his recovery timeline is uncertain, which means he will be away from the sport for a while.
Aspinall has undergone several surgeries since his title defence against Gane in Abu Dhabi last October, which ended in a first-round no-contest after he was unable to continue due to severe eye pokes.
He chose to relinquish the belt rather than delay the division’s progress during his recovery. Ciryl Gane, who claimed the interim heavyweight title by defeating Alex Pereira in June, is now expected to be elevated to the undisputed championship.
Despite vacating the title, Aspinall emphasised that he is not retiring. He remains focused on returning to competition: “Stepping away from the title is not stepping away from the sport or the dream,” he said. “I’ll continue doing everything I can to get healthy, get cleared and get back to competing as soon as possible.”
