The UFC heavyweight division has been stuck in a bit of a limbo ever since Jon Jones became champion. While “Bones” defended his title just once between March 2023 and June 2025, fans were hoping things would finally change when Tom Aspinall was elevated to undisputed champion following Jones’ retirement.
Unfortunately, Aspinall’s first title defense at UFC 321 on October 25, 2025, only created more controversy. The Englishman was hit with a brutal double eye poke from Ciryl Gane and has been on the sidelines ever since. Aspinall was later diagnosed with the rare bilateral traumatic Brown’s syndrome and has since undergone double eye surgery.
Dana White on Tom Aspinall’s UFC future:
“He’s not going anywhere, we are good with Tom Aspinall— When he’s healthy and he’s ready to fight, he’ll fight.”
via @SpinninBackfist https://t.co/QU8Hz2mE1g
— Dovy🔌 (@DovySimuMMA) August 28, 2026
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Now, nearly a year later, there is still no clear timeline for when the Englishman will return to the Octagon. Eddie Hearn recently revealed that Aspinall has undergone four surgeries since the injury and still needs to undergo a few more tests before he can be considered 100% healthy.
That has naturally led to speculation that Aspinall may never compete inside the Octagon again. Dana White recently shut down those rumors, but his latest comments about the heavyweight champion’s inactivity have raised another question.
During a recent Zuffa Boxing post-fight press conference, White was asked whether Aspinall could be stripped of the 265-pound title if his absence continues.
While White didn’t confirm that the UFC would take that route, Valentina Shevchenko’s recent decision to vacate her flyweight title after suffering a ligament injury has certainly raised some eyebrows. Shevchenko, who last fought on November 15 at UFC 322, recently gave up her women’s flyweight belt after her injury, leading some to wonder if Aspinall could eventually be asked to do the same.
White said, “We’ll definitely be talking about that. Valentina doesn’t want to tie up the division, and I’m assuming Tom feels the same way. I don’t know personally where he is health-wise with everything, but we should clear that up soon.”
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White didn’t outright say that Aspinall will be stripped or asked to vacate the title. Still, his comments make it clear that the UFC plans to have a conversation about the heavyweight champion’s future sooner rather than later.
It’s worth noting that Aspinall announced he was back to full training in June after Gane beat Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 to claim the interim heavyweight title. Aspinall was even ready to fight Gane at UFC Paris on September 5. Yet that fight never came together, suggesting something may have changed behind the scenes.
Next month will mark a full year since Aspinall last stepped inside the Octagon. Even before this latest layoff, the Englishman had fought just twice since UFC 304 in July 2024. He also holds the distinction of being the longest-reigning interim champion in UFC history.
Now, with another lengthy absence piling up, Aspinall’s inactivity woes continue to hang over the heavyweight division. The big question is whether the UFC will continue waiting for its champion or eventually decide that the division simply can’t afford to remain frozen any longer.
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.
