Tom Aspinall has officially vacated the UFC heavyweight title after nearly a year on the sidelines. The Englishman relinquished the belt after last fighting at UFC 321 in October 2025 against Ciryl Gane. That night, disaster struck when a double eye poke from Gane forced the fight to end in a no-contest.
Aspinall has been out of action ever since. He was later diagnosed with the rare bilateral traumatic Brown’s syndrome and has since undergone double eye surgery. Eddie Hearn recently revealed that Aspinall needed more time to undergo additional tests before he could be 100% healthy.
However, the extended timeline became increasingly frustrating. The former champion took to Instagram and penned a lengthy post explaining the circumstances behind his decision.
He wrote, “Anything you read in the media is simply noise. People are creating their own narratives. This is the truth: Ongoing complications with my eyes mean I cannot get medically cleared to fight right now.”
The Englishman added, “I’ve had multiple surgeries, accidents, and infections, and done everything possible to get back to competing. 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. This means more time away from the sport, and right now, the timing of my return is unclear.”
Aspinall had seemingly been closing in on his long-awaited return and had even agreed to a fight date before another accident caused further damage to his right eye. That fight date could potentially have been a title unification bout against Gane at UFC Paris, especially after Aspinall revealed in June that he had returned to sparring.
He further explained, “I know there have been questions about why I’ve been quiet. I’ve always followed the advice of the UFC and focused on my recovery while we’ve tried to make this happen.”
Aspinall then dropped the bombshell by announcing his decision to vacate the heavyweight crown.
He added, “I’ve now made the decision to vacate the heavyweight title. I’ve asked the UFC to allow me to make this statement because I don’t want to hold the heavyweight division up. 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.”
Aspinall revealed that the UFC and Hunter Campbell had been kept updated throughout his recovery, with the promotion seeing every medical report and update he received. However, a return in the near future simply wasn’t possible.
He wrote, “The UFC and Hunter have been informed every step of the way and have seen the tests, procedures and medical information relating to my eyes. We have worked closely with different doctors and specialists to try and make my return happen, but unfortunately, it’s simply not possible right now.”
The 33-year-old was understandably gutted but made it clear that this isn’t the end of his MMA journey. Aspinall promised to keep chasing his childhood dream once he is healthy again.
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He said, “I’m absolutely gutted. I’ve chased this dream since I was 10 years old. I’m not done. Stepping away from the title is not stepping away from the sport or the dream. I’ll continue doing everything I can to get healthy, get cleared and get back to competing as soon as possible.”
Aspinall also expressed his frustration over the circumstances that led to his prolonged absence. The former champion believes the issues he is dealing with stem from fouls that were not properly dealt with by officials during his fight with Gane.
He wrote, “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. 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.”
Despite everything he has gone through, Aspinall thanked everyone who has supported him and promised to return when he is medically cleared. “Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this absolute nightmare. I’ll be back as soon as I’m medically able to be.”
He also announced that he will be stepping away from social media for the time being, with his media team taking over his online presence while he focuses on his recovery.
A closer look at the eye poke that rendered Tom Aspinall unable to continue the fight.#UFC321 pic.twitter.com/GJv1yGvn6L
— Verdict (@VerdictMMA) October 25, 2025
Aspinall wrote, “Thank you all for the continued support 👊 I’ll be stepping away from social media and letting my media team handle things for the foreseeable future, while I focus on getting medically cleared to fight. I’ll still be working with my sponsors, and I’m incredibly grateful for their continued support and understanding. See you all soon.”
The announcement comes just one day after Dana White revealed that the promotion planned to discuss Aspinall’s championship status. 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. With Aspinall now stepping aside, Gane currently holds the interim heavyweight championship after stopping Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 in June.
The UFC has yet to announce its plans for the vacant heavyweight title, but Gane is widely expected to be upgraded to undisputed champion.
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.
