Tom Aspinall Faces Eye Surgery After UFC Injury

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall continues to grapple with a serious eye injury sustained during his title defense against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 in October, raising questions about his return to the octagon.

The bout, held in Las Vegas, ended in a no contest after Gane accidentally poked Aspinall in both eyes near the end of the first round. Aspinall, unable to continue due to impaired vision, dropped to the canvas in pain. Officials ruled the fight a no contest, preserving Aspinall's undisputed championship status. The incident drew immediate scrutiny, with some fans and observers questioning whether Aspinall could have fought on, despite the evident severity of the fouls.

Nearly six weeks later, Aspinall provided a detailed update on his condition during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show. He revealed that he remains uncleared for training and faces potential surgery on both eyes. "Obviously, I want to get back as soon as possible. That's the plan," Aspinall said. "But I'm also aware that with eyes you gotta be careful. Doctors are 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. So, yeah, I...