{"id":472968,"date":"2026-02-11T14:11:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T14:11:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/472968\/"},"modified":"2026-02-11T14:11:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T14:11:09","slug":"ufc-champion-tom-aspinall-shares-gruesome-health-update-after-eye-surgery","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/472968\/","title":{"rendered":"UFC Champion Tom Aspinall Shares Gruesome Health Update After Eye Surgery"},"content":{"rendered":"<p id=\"inline-text-0\" class=\"mt-[18px] md:mt-0 mb-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"4x\">Combat sports fans are hopeful that UFC Heavyweight Tom Aspinall is finally on the road to recovery after undergoing surgery on his eyes.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-1\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"50\">Unbeaten in the UFC outside of a 15-second injury TKO that came in his first meeting with Curtis Blaydes at UFC London in 2022, Aspinall was promoted from interim to undisputed heavyweight champion when Jon Jones retired from fighting over the summer. <\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-2\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"53\">The 32-year-old\u2019s undisputed title reign unfortunately got off to an inauspicious start at UFC 321, as his headlining title defense against Ciryl Gane was <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/tom-aspinall-vs-ciryl-gane-called-off-gruesome-eye-poke-ufc-321\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">called off late in the opening round <\/a>after Aspinall was poked in the eye and unable to continue fighting. <\/p>\n<p>Tom Aspinall Shares Update After Eye Surgeries<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-4\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"59\">Aspinall <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/ufc-champion-tom-aspinall-grim-medical-update-eye-injuries\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">painted a significantly darker picture<\/a> regarding his health after UFC CEO Dana White initially claimed it <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/dana-white-confusingly-clarifies-position-tom-aspinall-ufc-321-eye-poke\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">wouldn\u2019t be long before the Gane rematch was booked<\/a>, and now the UFC heavyweight champion has officially undergone surgery on both of his eyes. <\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-6\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"5g\">\u201cAfter his highly publicised eye poke injury, Optegra&#8217;s expert team is proud to have supported MMA fighter and UFC Heavyweight Champion [Tom Aspinall]. Over recent months we\u2019ve been working closely with him on his recovery. Following his operation on both eyes we continue the journey to get Tom\u2019s vision back to fighting fitness.\u201d<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-7\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"5j\">READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/ufc-to-make-debut-on-cbs-with-portion-of-ufc-326-holloway-vs-oliveira-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">UFC to Make Debut on CBS With Portion of UFC 326: Holloway vs. Oliveira 2<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-8\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"5m\">Following up on the initial post from Optega Eye Health Care, Aspinall also shared an Instagram story showing what his eyes looked like one day removed from the procedure. <\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_0,h_0\/c_fill,w_16,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/voltaxMediaLibrary\/mmsport\/mma_knockout\/01kh6bkrbwee8h7thny9.jpg\" alt=\"Tom Aspinall's update after eye surgery.\" title=\"Tom Aspinall's update after eye surgery.\" width=\"0\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"5w\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Tom Aspinall&#8217;s update after eye surgery. | (Instagram)<\/p>\n<p>When Will Tom Aspinall Return To The UFC?<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-11\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"63\">Aspinall understandably deserves a bit of time to rest and recover following surgery, but it won\u2019t be long until combat sports fans start clamoring for an update on when the UFC star thinks he may return to the cage. <\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/01kh6bnnj5pcb29xdek8.jpg\" alt=\"Tom Aspinall (blue gloves) reacts to beating Sergei Pavlovich (red gloves) during UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden.\" title=\"Tom Aspinall (blue gloves) reacts to beating Sergei Pavlovich (red gloves) during UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden.\" width=\"4711\" height=\"3140\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"6d\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Tom Aspinall (blue gloves) reacts to beating Sergei Pavlovich (red gloves) during UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-13\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"6h\">Given the anticlimactic way the first fight ended, the expectation is that former interim titleholder Gane will get an immediate rematch with Aspinall once the latter fighter is finally ready to compete again. <\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-14\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"6k\">READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/ian-machado-garry-title-shot-islam-makhachev-major-ufc-fight-news\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">UFC Stars Aiming for Title Shot vs. Islam Makhachev Tease Major UFC Fight News<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-15\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"6n\">\u201cBon Gamin\u201d previously came up short in two undisputed heavyweight title bids against Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones, and he rebounded from the Jones fight with victories over Serghei Spivac and Alexander Volkov. <\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/01kh6bqb5hhrdeqktctw.jpg\" alt=\"Ciryl Gane (red gloves) fights Alexander Volkov (blues gloves) at T-Mobile Arena. \" title=\"Ciryl Gane (red gloves) fights Alexander Volkov (blues gloves) at T-Mobile Arena. \" width=\"5456\" height=\"3637\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"6x\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Ciryl Gane (red gloves) fights Alexander Volkov (blues gloves) at T-Mobile Arena.  | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-17\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"71\">It didn\u2019t take long after Jones retired and vacated the heavyweight belt for the future UFC Hall of Famer to start teasing a return to the Octagon, but the 38-year-old\u2019s latest comments indicate that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/jon-jones-sends-concerning-message-to-dana-white-as-ufc-white-house-card-looms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">he may be having second thoughts<\/a> about trying to come back for the UFC\u2019s planned event at The White House this summer.  <\/p>\n<p>More MMA Knockout News<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-19\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"77\">\u2022\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/former-pfl-ceo-pete-murray-reveals-new-sports-venture-away-from-mma-combat-sports\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Former PFL CEO Pete Murray Reveals New Sports Venture Away From MMA, Combat Sports<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-20\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"7a\">\u2022\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/ufc-charles-johnson-shockingly-quick-turnaround-fight-ugly-knockout-loss\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">UFC Fighter Books Shockingly Quick Turnaround Fight After Ugly Knockout Loss<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-21\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"7d\">\u2022\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/champion-accepts-risky-fight-new-ufc-mexico-main-event-moreno-kavanagh\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Ex-UFC Champion Reportedly Accepts Risky Fight for New UFC Mexico Main Event<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-22\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"7g\">\u2022\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/mma-fans-stunned-ufc-mercilessly-pulls-injured-shavkat-rakhmonov-ufc-rankings\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">MMA Fans Stunned as UFC Mercilessly Pulls Injured Star From Official UFC Rankings<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-23\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"7j\">Stick with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MMAKnockout<\/a>\u00a0for more FREE coverage of the UFC and MMA.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-24\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"7m\">Follow MMAKnockout on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MMAKnockoutSI\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/UFCKnockout\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Twitter<\/a>, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/mmaknockoutsi\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Combat sports fans are hopeful that UFC Heavyweight Tom Aspinall is finally on the road to recovery after&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":472969,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[570],"tags":[64,63,786,785,85],"class_list":["post-472968","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-mma","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-fighting","tag-mma","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472968","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=472968"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/472968\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/472969"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=472968"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=472968"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=472968"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}