Tom Aspinall News

Curtis Calhoun - February 19, 2026

UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier isn’t buying the narrative that Ciryl Gane’s integrity is tainted after he eye-poked Tom Aspinall. UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall’s first undisputed title defense ended in a disaster as his UFC 321 bout with Ciryl Gane last year was ruled a no-contest after multiple eye pokes. Four months and counting since the fight, Aspinall continues to recover from multiple eye injuries stemming from the fight, and recently underwent surgeries on both eyes.

Harry Kettle - February 19, 2026

UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira has defended Tom Aspinall as fans continue to go after him on social media. When you talk about guys who have been unlucky in this sport, Tom Aspinall is up there with the best of them. After years of fighters not wanting to face him, he finally got his shot in the UFC and immediately shot up the rankings at heavyweight. Then, he blew out his knee, forcing him out of action for a year, before he returned and eventually became the UFC heavyweight champion.

Dylan Bowker - February 17, 2026

Tom Aspinall loves the lifestyle pieces of being a competitive mixed martial artist, but the politics involved in the machinations of the business are not to his preference. In a detailed interview with Petesy Carroll of Uncrowned, the UFC heavyweight champion broke the fourth wall and let fans see what his recovery has looked like since dealing with residual eye poke issues from his Ciryl Gane clash in October.

Harry Kettle - February 16, 2026

UFC commentator Michael Bisping believes the heavyweight division needs to move forward despite Tom Aspinall’s injury. As we know, Tom Aspinall recently underwent surgery on both of his eyes as a result of a double eye poke from Ciryl Gane in his latest fight. The Englishman has faced a great deal of criticism for being unable to continue in the contest, despite the fact that Gane was the one that caused the fight to end.

Curtis Calhoun - February 10, 2026

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall’s ongoing hiatus following multiple eye injuries continues as he underwent another major surgery. Tom Aspinall continues to sit on the sidelines as he recovers from multiple eye injuries suffered against Ciryl Gane in their UFC 321 title fight. Months removed from the bout, Aspinall continues to suffer from severe vision issues that have indefinitely postponed his UFC heavyweight title reign.

Curtis Calhoun - January 27, 2026

UFC CEO Dana White’s recent update on Tom Aspinall’s medical condition raised eyebrows among fans, pundits, and fellow fighters. UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall continues to undergo treatment for significant eye injuries he suffered against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321. Months removed from the fight, Aspinall has seen numerous eye specialists and undergone multiple surgeries to correct his vision in both eyes.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - January 25, 2026

Dana White was asked for an update on Tom Aspinall’s eye and his response was humorous. Aspinall is the reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion, but he is left in limbo given the state of his eyes. Ciryl Gane accidentally poked Aspinall’s eyes during their Oct. 2025 bout and the titleholder could not continue. Since then, Aspinall has said he needed surgery on both his eyes.

Harry Kettle - January 20, 2026

UFC prospect Modestas Bukauskas has defended Tom Aspinall following the backlash he received after his UFC 321 injury. Back at UFC 321, Tom Aspinall suffered a nasty double eye poke at the hands of Ciryl Gane. The Englishman was unable to continue in the contest and in the aftermath, it quickly became clear that he would have to undergo surgery on both eyes in order to try and fix the issue, and hopefully, return to the cage one day.

Cole Shelton - January 2, 2026

UFC commentator Joe Rogan believes Tom Aspinall may never fight again. Aspinall is dealing with an eye injury from his fight against Ciryl Gane, as he was poked in the eye by the Frenchman. It was a gruesome poke, and now Aspinall is dealing with some repercussions and needs surgery. Rogan believes eyes can cause some issues and believes there is a chance the heavyweight champ doesn’t fight again.

Dylan Bowker - December 30, 2025

Tom Aspinall has drawn criticisms from some in combat sports circles for the last couple of months, and a notable heavyweight champ in mixed martial arts has weighed in with his thoughts on eye poke gate. As Fleury continues to build his legacy as a heavyweight champion in mixed martial arts with a first-round stoppage of former Oktagon MMA heavyweight champ and UFC vet Martin Buday, he stands tall heading into 2026 after the dust just settled on Oktagon 81. Fleury has also previously found himself calling out other champions in the sport with a previous call out of KSW titleholder Phil De Fries transpiring earlier this year. De Fries is also notably part of that Tom Aspinall team. With some fans and fighters alike saying some less-than-kind things about the Tom Aspinall UFC 321 eye poke controversy, with some positing that he took the easy way out in his fight with Ciryl Gane after the no-contest verdict was dealt out in their bout.

Fernando Quiles Jr. - December 30, 2025

Tom Aspinall wants to shut the naysayers up when he’s ready to share the Octagon with Ciryl Gane again. The UFC heavyweight title fight between champion Aspinall and Ciryl Gane on Oct. 25 ended in disappointing fashion. After being on the receiving end of a double eye poke, Aspinall could not continue before the opening frame ended. The fight was ruled a no contest.

Harry Kettle - December 29, 2025

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has revealed that he is set for double eye surgery after the injuries he suffered at UFC 321. As we know, earlier this year, Tom Aspinall suffered a nasty double eye injury at the hands of Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC 321. It meant that Tom was unable to continue with the contest, and despite Gane being the one who committed the foul, the Englishman was the one who received a great deal of criticism for how it all played out.

Harry Kettle - December 19, 2025

UFC middleweight Sean Strickland has torn into Tom Aspinall for the saga surrounding his recent eye injury. While he may be the UFC heavyweight champion, things aren’t going great for Tom Aspinall right now. He is on the verge of needing surgery to correct a nasty eye injury that he sustained at the hands of Ciryl Gane back at UFC 321, when the Frenchman poked him directly in both of his eyes to cause a no contest.

Cole Shelton - December 16, 2025

Tom Aspinall has taken aim at Ciryl Gane as their feud continues to take shape. Aspinall was defending his heavyweight title for the first time at UFC 321 back in October against Gane. It was a highly anticipated fight, and early on, Gane was having success. However, Gane poked Aspinall in both of his eyes, and the champ said he couldn’t see, so the fight was ruled a No Contest.

Harry Kettle - December 15, 2025

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has said he’d be interested in a boxing match against Francis Ngannou. Right now, Tom Aspinall is in a tricky spot. He is coming off the back of a nasty eye injury that he suffered against Ciryl Gane and, as of this writing, it’s not clear as to when exactly the Englishman is going to return. He has made it crystal clear that he wants to run it back against Gane, in an attempt to get some revenge for what happened to him.

Harry Kettle - December 8, 2025

UFC sensation Ilia Topuria has received big praise from fellow UFC champion Tom Aspinall following another strong year. While he may have only fought once this year, it’s safe to say that Ilia Topuria has established himself as one of the biggest stars in all of mixed martial arts. After knocking out Alexander Volkanovski and Max Holloway in back to back fights, some wondered whether or not Ilia would be able to take things any further than that. The short answer is that he was able to, and he did so emphatically.

Harry Kettle - December 5, 2025

Former two-weight UFC champion Henry Cejudo has warned Tom Aspinall about taking Dana White’s comments personally. As we know, Tom Aspinall has been through a tough time as of late. He’s currently dealing with a pretty severe eye injury courtesy of a double eye poke from Ciryl Gane, and for some reason, the Englishman is the one who has been receiving the most criticism, with some MMA fans and fellow fighters suggesting that he should have continued to push forward with the contest.

Cole Shelton - December 2, 2025

Tom Aspinall has made it clear he wasn’t looking for a way out against Ciryl Gane. Aspinall was defending his undisputed heavyweight title for the first time against Gane back in October at UFC 321. Early on in the fight, Gane was having success as Aspinall was bleeding from his nose. However, Gane then poked Aspinall in both eyes, and the champ couldn’t continue, making the fight a no-contest.