Tom Aspinall Drops Major Update on UFC Return After Undergoing Eye Surgery

Tom Aspinall has issued an update on when he could potentially return to UFC action following the eye injury he suffered against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321.

Aspinall’s contest against Gane at UFC 321 was called a no-contest after the Frenchman poked the Atherton fighter in both eyes while attempting a punch in the first round of the bout.

The 32-year-old quickly explained how his vision was impaired as a result of the poke before the referee waved the contest off, and the crowd began to boo.

Aspinall retained the heavyweight title while the poke was deemed accidental.

Following the bout, Aspinall confirmed that he was diagnosed with a rare eye condition and explained how he had “significant traumatic bilateral Brown’s syndrome” in late November, while also adding that he was suffering from double vision.

The Atherton fighter also explained how, at the time, he was not training while still seeing specialists. He also revealed that he was “not yet medically cleared for combat activity”.

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Aspinall issued a further update on his condition and when he could return to the octagon during a video posted to his YouTube channel on December 28.

"I've had surgery on one side already, next surgery is coming mid-January,” Aspinall said.

“We're working towards getting back. That’s the plan."

Of course, this is not the first time Aspinall has been forced to sit out while recovering from injury, as he was sidelined for over a year with a serious knee injury between July 2022 and 2023.

15 seconds into his interim heavyweight title fight against Curtis Blaydes at UFC London, he fell to the ground clutching his knee.

The Brit tore his MCL and suffered a torn meniscus and some ACL damage, which resulted in him undergoing surgery before returning to action with a first-round TKO victory over Marcin Tybura in the summer of 2023.

Aspinall not only missed out on a year of his career due to the knee injury, but he also held the interim title for more than 18 months as he chased a fight with then-UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones before the American called time on his career in June of 2025.

The 32-year-old hadn’t fought since July 2024 - when he beat Blaydes in a rematch in Manchester – before he faced Gane on October 25 as he was waiting for the Jones fight, which ultimately never materialised.

Aspinall will likely rematch Gane once he returns to full health in 2026.