UFC Considers Stripping Tom Aspinall of Heavyweight Title
UFC president Dana White says the organization will soon discuss the status of heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, who has been sidelined for nearly a year with an eye injury.
Nearly a year on the sidelines
British UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, 33, last fought on October 25, 2025, at UFC 321, when the first defense of his title against France's Ciryl Gane ended in a no-contest. Repeated eye pokes from Gane left Aspinall unable to continue, and he was later diagnosed with a rare eye condition causing persistent double vision, requiring surgery.
UFC to address the title's future
UFC CEO Dana White said the promotion will "definitely be talking about" whether Aspinall should vacate the belt or be stripped of it as the champion approaches a full year of inactivity. White drew a comparison to women's flyweight champion Valentina Shevchenko, who recently vacated her title due to persistent injuries, adding that he does not personally know Aspinall's current health status but expects the situation to be clarified soon.
Former two-division champion Henry Cejudo took a harsher stance, saying Aspinall "needs to vacate or be stripped at this point," arguing that once the one-year mark passes around October 25–26, the UFC will no longer wait.
Background and what's next
In June, Aspinall said he had returned to full training and suggested a rematch with Gane could happen as early as September; at the end of August he also denied reports that he planned to leave the UFC. Still, no clear return timeline has been announced — according to MMA Junkie, his manager Eddie Hearn had hoped Aspinall would be medically cleared to train before the end of 2026.
Meanwhile, Gane defeated Alex Pereira in June to claim the interim heavyweight title and has himself called for a rematch with Aspinall; Pereira, in turn, has requested a rematch with Gane.
It is worth noting that a Yahoo Sports headline claimed Aspinall had already "officially" vacated the title, though the article's own text does not support this claim, and the other three sources — BBC, MMA Fighting and MMA Junkie — consistently indicate that no final decision has been made and the matter is still under discussion.
