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Tom Aspinall Vacates UFC Heavyweight Title Due to Eye Injury
Confirmed
In Short: Tom Aspinall, Britain's only UFC heavyweight champion, has stepped down from his title due to ongoing eye complications, leaving the division in uncertainty.
Tom Aspinall, the only British UFC heavyweight champion, has vacated his title due to complications in his recovery from an eye injury, according to reports. The 33-year-old has not fought since October, when a no-contest was called after several eye pokes during his title defense against Ciryl Gane.
Aspinall, who has a professional MMA record of 15 wins, three defeats, and one no-contest, has had persistent double vision and undergone multiple surgeries. He stated, 'I will continue doing everything I can to get healthy, get cleared, and get back to competing as soon as possible.
UFC president Dana White hinted that Aspinall could be stripped of the title, while Gane, who won the interim heavyweight title in June, called for a rematch. Aspinall's decision to vacate the title was made public on Monday, leaving the division in a state of uncertainty.
In August, Aspinall rejected reports that he would leave the UFC, and multiple surgeries have left his comeback date unclear. His statement on Instagram read, 'Anything you read in the media is simply noise. People are creating their own narratives. This is the truth.
What's confirmed
- Tom Aspinall, the only British UFC heavyweight champion, has vacated his title due to complications in his recovery from an eye injury, according to reports. The 33-year-old has not fought since October, when a no-contest was called after several eye pokes during his title defense against Ciryl Gane.
- Aspinall, who has a professional MMA record of 15 wins, three defeats, and one no-contest, has had persistent double vision and undergone multiple surgeries. He stated, 'I will continue doing everything I can to get healthy, get cleared, and get back to competing as soon as possible.
- UFC president Dana White hinted that Aspinall could be stripped of the title, while Gane, who won the interim heavyweight title in June, called for a rematch. Aspinall's decision to vacate the title was made public on Monday, leaving the division in a state of uncertainty.
- In August, Aspinall rejected reports that he would leave the UFC, and multiple surgeries have left his comeback date unclear. His statement on Instagram read, 'Anything you read in the media is simply noise. People are creating their own narratives. This is the truth.
What's still developing
- In June Aspinall said he had returned to full training for a rematch with France's Gane and suggested they could fight in September.
- "I am not done. Stepping away from the title is not stepping away from the sport or the dream," he said on Monday.
- This month Valentina Shevchenko vacated the women's flyweight title because of persistent injuries.
- Dana White admitted during a press conference on Saturday that he is considering stripping Tom Aspinall.
- Since Aspinall and Gane went to a no contest as a result of Gane's fouls, a rematch between the two seemed the obvious course of action.