TLDR
- Tom Aspinall has given up his UFC heavyweight title due to a rare eye condition causing double vision
- The 33-year-old British fighter has not competed since October when his title defense ended in a no-contest
- Aspinall has undergone multiple eye surgeries but continues to experience vision problems
- He says he is not retiring and will work to return to competition when healthy
- Ciryl Gane currently holds the interim heavyweight title after beating Alex Pereira in June
Sources: sports.yahoo.com | bbc.com
British fighter Tom Aspinall has given up his UFC heavyweight championship belt due to ongoing complications from an eye injury. The 33-year-old announced his decision on Monday after struggling with a rare eye condition that has caused persistent double vision.
Aspinall has not competed since his October title defense against France’s Ciryl Gane ended in a no-contest. The fight was stopped after multiple eye pokes during the match.
Multiple Surgeries Failed to Fix Vision Problems
Following the bout with Gane, Aspinall was diagnosed with a rare eye condition. He has undergone several operations to correct the problem but continues to experience double vision.
“I am absolutely gutted. I have chased this dream since I was 10 years old,” Aspinall said in his statement.
The British fighter said he made the decision to vacate the title to allow other fighters to compete for the championship. “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,” he explained.
The idea that Tom Aspinall vacated the UFC heavyweight title because he’s afraid to fight Ciryl Gane is absurd. No one can actually believe that.
You’re telling me he’s going to sit on the sidelines for a year and a half, have multiple eye surgeries, and not make any money, all… pic.twitter.com/me52jHzapw
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 15, 2026
Aspinall holds a professional MMA record of 15 wins, three defeats and one no-contest. He is the only British fighter to ever win a UFC heavyweight title.
Fighter Says He Plans to Return
In June, Aspinall had said he was back to full training and suggested a September rematch with Gane was possible. Those plans never materialized as his vision problems continued.
UFC president Dana White had hinted over the weekend that the organization might strip Aspinall of his title. This came before the fighter made his own decision to step away.
Aspinall made clear that giving up the belt does not mean he is retiring from the sport. “I am not done. Stepping away from the title is not stepping away from the sport or the dream,” he said Monday.
He added that he will continue working to recover his health and return to competition. “I will continue doing everything I can to get healthy, get cleared and get back to competing as soon as possible,” Aspinall stated.
In August, Aspinall had rejected reports that he planned to leave the UFC entirely. He maintained that position in his Monday statement about vacating the title.
The vacant title situation follows a similar move earlier this month when Valentina Shevchenko gave up the women’s flyweight championship. Shevchenko also cited persistent injuries as her reason for vacating.
Ciryl Gane won an interim heavyweight title in June by defeating Alex Pereira. Following that victory, Gane called for a rematch with Aspinall to unify the titles.
With Aspinall now stepping aside, the UFC will likely need to organize a new title fight. Gane’s interim belt and his recent victory position him as a top contender for the vacant championship.
