{"id":467751,"date":"2026-02-11T09:38:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T09:38:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/467751\/"},"modified":"2026-02-11T09:38:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-11T09:38:13","slug":"tom-aspinall-one-step-closer-to-exciting-return-at-265","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/467751\/","title":{"rendered":"Tom Aspinall One Step Closer To Exciting Return At 265"},"content":{"rendered":"

Tom Aspinall<\/a> (15-3, 1 NC MMA, 8-3, 1 NC UFC) has been out of competition since before Halloween. After being elevated to permanent UFC Heavyweight Champion in the wake of Jon Jones\u2019 retirement in June of 2025, Aspinall\u2019s initial defense of the title was set for Oct. 25.<\/p>\n

The headlining fight of UFC 321 from Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates saw Tom Aspinall fight Ciryl Gane<\/a> (13-2, 1 NC MMA, 10-2, 1 NC UFC) in a five-round fight at five minutes per round to close out the night\u2019s activities. Inside the final minute of the opening round of the main event, everything came undone in unfortunate fashion.<\/p>\n

With only a few seconds remaining on round one\u2019s clock, Tom Aspinall suffered an eye poke. Rules dictate that a fighter who\u2019s accidentally fouled during a contest will have a maximum five-minute medical timeout to try to recover.<\/p>\n

Tom Aspinall\u2019s First Defense Ends in Inglorious Fashion<\/p>\n

Upon the mandatory five-minute clock expiring for Aspinall\u2019s medical timeout, his vision was still compromised and he could no longer continue in the contest, forcing referee Jason Herzog to end the fight. This served as the first no-contest for both fighters.<\/p>\n

In the UFC 321 post-fight press conference, UFC CEO Dana White vowed <\/a>that Aspinall and Gane would rematch for the former\u2019s title as soon as Aspinall was medically cleared.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think that after the [Jon] Jones fight, a lot of people wrote Ciryl Gane off,\u201d White began. \u201cHe looked damn good tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n

White mentioned that before Tom Aspinall suffered the eye poke, his fight with Gane had the potential to go deep, before acknowledging that the rebooking process was a \u201ctotal pain in the ass.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

In the weeks and months after Aspinall\u2019s eye poke, the champion had been giving updates regarding his prognosis and recovery. At the end of last year, he mentioned that he\u2019d be receiving surgery in the middle of January<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Tom Aspinall Undergoes Eye Surgery<\/p>\n

Earlier Tuesday, the heavyweight champion\u2019s fanbase received another update regarding Tom Aspinall\u2019s eye health. Another stop on the road to recovery has been cleared.<\/p>\n

Optegra Eye Health Care, a United Kingdom optometry service, has treated Tom Aspinall in his recovery from the October eye poke in Abu Dhabi. Their Instagram account posted<\/a> about Aspinall receiving care late this afternoon.<\/p>\n

\u201cOver recent months, we\u2019ve been working closely with him on his recovery,\u201d the Optegra Eye Health Care statement read Tuesday. \u201cFollowing his operation on both eyes, we continue the journey to get Tom\u2019s vision back to fighting fitness.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aspinall\u2019s surgery means that he\u2019s that much closer to returning to competition inside the fabled Octagon. No exact timetable has been set for a return date, but this is promising news, especially for Tom Aspinall\u2019s camp.<\/p>\n

Final Thoughts: Aspinall vs. Gane II Wouldn\u2019t Need Hype Once Date is Booked<\/p>\n

While a number of high-profile sporting events, such as last weekend\u2019s Super Bowl or this weekend\u2019s Daytona 500, were and are subject to marathon hype and conjecture once the matchup or field is confirmed, a rematch between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane isn\u2019t going to need any more hype than what will already be built in. MMA fans already know the story.<\/p>\n

They\u2019ll know the stakes for this contest, as well. Two fighters, one seeking a definitive defense of his belt in Tom Aspinall, the other looking for revenge in Ciryl Gane, will be battling for supremacy at 265.<\/p>\n

This is the kind of bulletin board material that practically writes itself, something for which the UFC promotional department is going to be most grateful. No matter when the fight is rebooked for, it will no doubt be an anticipated 25 minutes (or less) of action.<\/p>\n