Tom Aspinall To Take Drastic Action If He Has Permanent Eye Damage
Tom Aspinall says that he will no longer compete in the UFC if he has suffered significant permanent damage to his right eye.
Aspinall was poked in both eyes by Ciryl Gane during his first defence of the UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 321.
The referee waved off the fight as a no contest, with Aspinall unable to continue.
His right eye was bandaged and he was sent to hospital, where he underwent a series of tests.
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UFC president Dana White received significant criticism on social media for his post-UFC 321 comments, with the 56-year-old claiming that Aspinall simply 'did not want to continue' despite evidence to the contrary.
Aspinall stated in a YouTube video on his official channel that he would need to undergo further tests in the UK to determine the full extent of his eye injury.
He also spoke out on what he plans to do if it is revealed that he has suffered permanent damage.
He made the comparison to fellow British UFC star Michael Bisping, who was left with a detached retina after being hit by a head kick from Vitor Belfort in 2013.
Despite several surgeries, Bisping is now registered blind in his right eye.
He has heavily criticised Belfort in recent years, describing the Brazilian - who was on testosterone replacement therapy at the time of the fight and later failed a doping test in 2014 - as having 'built a career off being a cheat'.
Bisping, now 46, continued fighting for five years without sight in one eye before retiring from the UFC in 2019.
He was in attendance at UFC 321, stating on his YouTube channel after the fight: "People online are talking a lot of s**t, yeah, saying that he [Aspinall] quit.
"The eye poke. It was a bad eye poke, it really was. It was a double eye poke, it went really, really deep into his eyes. Tom was clearly emotional, p***ed off, upset. I get it, I get it. There's been a lot of time waiting for this moment, the whole fiasco with Jon Jones, he defended the interim belt ... then that happens. I hope he's okay, that's the main thing. They've got to run it back ASAP."
Aspinall said: "I really respect what Bisping's done [fighting with no sight in one eye]. But he's done more than I would. I wouldn't carry on fighting with one eye, no chance. No chance.
"We'll see what they say."
The doctor who subsequently attended Aspinall noted that there were 'no external features of trauma' in the right eye, but the 32-year-old described a 'burning' sensation when light was shone into it.
He is later seen by another doctor who applies eye drops, which visibly cause him significant discomfort.
Aspinall was also suffering from blurred vision in his right eye, which was uncovered during the tests but otherwise remained bandaged.
Topics: Tom Aspinall, UFC
Ryan Smart