Tom Aspinall vacates UFC heavyweight title due to eye injury
Despite vacating the belt, Aspinall stresses that he is not retiring and remains determined to compete again.
The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) mixed martial arts heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall, has vacated his title after suffering ongoing complications from an eye injury sustained during his bout with Ciryl Gane last year, the British fighter said.
“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.
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. The contest was ruled a first-round no-contest after Aspinall was unable to continue.
His departure clears the way for Ciryl Gane, who captured the interim heavyweight title with a victory over Alex Pereira in June, to be elevated to undisputed champion.