Tom Aspinall Has Already Dropped UFC Retirement Hint and Next Career Move

Tom Aspinall has already hinted at when he plans to leave the UFC and what his next career move could be if he's forced into retirement.

Aspinall's first fight as undisputed heavyweight champion ended after less than five minutes when he suffered a double eye poke from Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 on Saturday.

As the incident was deemed accidental, the fight at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi was declared a no-contest.

Aspinall was taken to hospital following the bout and has since undergone checks to assess the damage.

In a clip that has circulated on social media after the fight, he praised Michael Bisping - who famously won the UFC middleweight championship with a detached retina back in 2016.

However, Aspinall made it clear that if he has suffered permanent damage, he will not return to fighting.

His comments have sparked speculation about what the Briton might do if he's unable to continue his UFC career.

Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane (Image: Getty)

Speaking to Stephen Bartlett on The Diary of a CEO earlier this year, Aspinall revealed that he is interested in moving into the media.

He said: "I really love the sport of MMA.

"Even when I've retired from fighting, I'll never be retired from MMA.

"I've definitely made mistakes in the media space before, but I'm learning and I think there's a place for me somewhere in the future to educate people on MMA, however that looks.

"Whether that's punditry, podcasts, I don't know, something somewhere, I definitely think I will give some kind of insight to somebody where people can hopefully learn something from me."

Aspinall made his UFC debut in 2020 and currently has a record of eight victories and one defeat in the promotion.

He was also denied a super-fight with Jon Jones, after the American fighter announced his retirement in June.

Saturday's bout with Gane marked Aspinall's first fight since he was crowned the undisputed heavyweight champion.

The Briton has emerged as one of UFC's biggest names, and has reportedly earned around £2.3 million over his career.

Tom Aspinall at UFC 321 (Image: Getty)

On the podcast, he also discussed the role his team has played in helping him secure positive sponsorship deals.

"I'm lucky to invest all the time," he said.

"My team has actually been really good with that kind of stuff.

"A few of my sponsorships, I actually have shares in business as well as the sponsorship."

Aspinall will hope to make a return to the octagon in the coming months, with fans already speculating about a potential rematch with Gane.

MMA journalist Nick Peet suggested the Briton will want to return as soon as possible, with some wondering whether a comeback at UFC 323 on December 6 could happen.