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UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall Vacates Title Due to Eye Injury
Confirmed
In Short: Tom Aspinall, the UFC heavyweight champion, has vacated his title due to ongoing complications from an eye injury sustained during his bout with Ciryl Gane last year.
Tom Aspinall, the UFC heavyweight champion, has vacated his title due to ongoing complications from an eye injury sustained during his bout with Ciryl Gane last year, the British fighter said. The contest was ruled a first-round no-contest after Aspinall was unable to continue, and his departure clears the way for Gane to be elevated to the undisputed champion.
‘I had previously agreed to a fight date and was back sparring, feeling great and ready to compete when an accident caused further damage to my right eye,’ Aspinall wrote on Instagram on Monday. Despite vacating the belt, Aspinall stressed that he was not retiring and remains determined to compete again. The 33-year-old has undergone multiple surgeries since receiving severe eye pokes in his title defence against Gane in Abu Dhabi in October last year.
‘Stepping away from the title is not stepping away from the sport or the dream,’ he wrote on Instagram. Aspinall was diagnosed with a rare eye condition, and has had persistent double vision and several operations. He has not fought since October, when the first defence of his title against Ciryl Gane ended in a no-contest following several eye pokes.
‘This means more time away from the sport, and right now, the timing of my return is unclear,’ Aspinall added. Despite the setback, UFC president Dana White hinted over the weekend that Aspinall could be stripped of the title. Gane, who captured the interim heavyweight title with a victory over Alex Pereira in June, is now in line for the undisputed championship.
In June, Gane beat Alex Pereira to win the interim heavyweight title and called for a rematch with Aspinall. Aspinall had suggested they could fight in September, but his current focus is on recovery. In August, Aspinall rejected reports that he would leave the UFC, stating, 'I will continue doing everything I can to get healthy, get cleared and get back to competing as soon as possible.' His decision to vacate the title is a significant development in the UFC heavyweight division.
What's confirmed
- “Stepping away from the title is not stepping away from the sport or the dream,” he wrote on Instagram.
What's still developing
- Aspinall said he had decided to relinquish the belt rather than delay the division while he recovers.
- This month Valentina Shevchenko vacated the women's flyweight title because of persistent injuries.