Tom Aspinall vacates UFC heavyweight title over ongoing eye issues

Tom Aspinall announced on Instagram that he is vacating the UFC heavyweight title because ongoing eye complications have prevented medical clearance, while his return date remains unclear.

Tom Aspinall has announced that he is vacating the UFC heavyweight title because ongoing complications with his eyes mean he cannot currently receive medical clearance to fight.

Aspinall said he has undergone multiple surgeries and dealt with accidents and infections during his recovery. He said he resumed sparring after agreeing to a fight date, but suffered further damage to his right eye in another accident.

The complications followed his October 25, 2025 bout with Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi. The main event ended as a no contest after an accidental eye poke left Aspinall unable to continue.

Aspinall said he chose to vacate the belt because he did not want to hold up the heavyweight division. He added that relinquishing the title would give other fighters the opportunity to compete for it.

The former champion said he is not retiring and intends to return when he is medically able. However, he did not provide a timescale for his comeback.

The UFC has yet to announce its next step for determining the undisputed heavyweight champion. Gane has been described by some reports as the likely successor, but Aspinall's announcement confirmed the title vacancy rather than naming a replacement.