The heavyweight division will have to move on without Tom Aspinall for now. The Englishman recently announced that he is vacating the 265lbs title after another incident caused further damage to his right eye. Aspinall has been sidelined for nearly a year after suffering a double eye poke at the hands of Ciryl Gane at UFC 321.
He was diagnosed with the rare bilateral traumatic Brown’s syndrome and has since undergone triple eye surgery. Eddie Hearn recently revealed that Aspinall needed more time for additional tests before he could be considered 100% healthy. However, the prolonged recovery timeline became increasingly frustrating.
The former champion took to Instagram and penned a lengthy post explaining the circumstances behind his decision. Shortly after, Josh Hokit seized the opportunity to stake his claim to the now-vacant title.
The 10-0 heavyweight had recently rejected Alex Pereira’s call for a rematch with Gane, who currently holds the interim title. Instead, Hokit pitched two blockbuster headliners for UFC 334 later this year, with himself facing Gane for the heavyweight gold and Pereira taking on Sergei Pavlovich.
Now that Aspinall has vacated the belt, Gane is seemingly expected to be upgraded to undisputed champion. However, staying true to his original plan, Hokit has doubled down on facing the Frenchman for the championship next.
Moreover, the American promised to become the most active champion in the company, especially after the heavyweight division has been plagued by injuries and ducking accusations over the past two years.
He took to social media and wrote, “The fans deserve Me vs Gane. I’ll give Ciryl what he has coming. If Alex can win 1 fight in my weight class, I’ll give it to him too, early ‘27. I’ll be the most active champ in the company.”
The fans deserve Me vs Gane. I’ll give Ciryl what he has coming.
If Alex can win 1 fight in my weight class, I’ll give it to him too, early ‘27.
I’ll be the most active champ in the company. https://t.co/fdtRFTL2G8— The Incredible Hok (@Josh_HokitUFC) September 14, 2026
ALSO READ: Is Natalia Silva vs. Wang Cong at UFC 332 the Worst Main Event in UFC History?
Hokit has enjoyed a banner year in the Octagon. He outlasted Curtis Blaydes in a Fight of the Year contender before finishing Derrick Lewis just two months later at the White House, quickly catapulting himself into the heavyweight title picture.
Amid all the chaos, Hokit also took a shot at Gane over his title loss to Jon Jones at UFC 285, which came in the opening round via submission. He said, “The first thing the Jackson Wink coaches teach you when you arrive in Albuquerque is how to finish Ciryl Gane in under 2 1/2 mins.”
As mentioned earlier, the UFC heavyweight division could certainly use some activity. This will be the third time the undisputed belt has been vacated by a champion in recent years.
The first thing the JacksonWink coaches teach you when you arrive in Albuquerque, is how to finish Ciryl Gane in under 2 1/2 mins. https://t.co/cUsBlvdqxT
— The Incredible Hok (@Josh_HokitUFC) September 14, 2026
Francis Ngannou finished his contract and left UFC in January 2023 without losing. Jon Jones then won the belt but defended it just once over more than 800 days before retiring. Aspinall was supposed to get the division back on track, but his eye injury brought everything to a halt.
There has been nothing official regarding the UFC’s next move for the title, but with Aspinall out of the picture, the heavyweight division should finally start moving again.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
