Credit: Waleed Zein/Anadolu

A top UFC heavyweight believes it’s time for Tom Aspinall to put up or shut up when it comes to his long hiatus from competition.

Undisputed UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall remains sidelined after undergoing multiple eye surgeries stemming from his no contest at UFC 321 last year. Just minutes into his title defense against Ciryl Gane, Aspinall was unable to continue competing after getting hit with several accidental eye pokes.

Despite initial optimism that Aspinall could return to the Octagon in September, the undisputed heavyweight champion still hasn’t been medically cleared to fight. UFC CEO Dana White hinted that the matchmakers are preparing to ‘move on’ from Aspinall’s title reign if he remains sidelined for the foreseeable future.

After Gane won the interim heavyweight title earlier this year, a timeline for a potential Aspinall vs. Gane rematch remains uncertain. In the meantime, a top heavyweight contender is becoming increasingly frustrated with Aspinall’s postponed comeback.

Waldo Cortes-Acosta scorches ‘p—-‘ Tom Aspinall over long UFC absence

During his Noche UFC pre-fight press conference, Waldo Cortes-Acosta was asked about whether or not the UFC should strip Aspinall of his heavyweight title.

“Yeah, it’s a lot of frustration to see the champion be like this,” Cortes-Acosta said of Aspinall.

“He knows that he needs to come back and fight with Ciryl Gane. I think he’s got a p—-, and I think he’ll have a long time to heal and come back to fight for the title, but this is not the champion. For me, this is not the champion.

“The champion is someone who has a problem, fixes it, and tries to come back, fights and is a warrior, not a p—-. I don’t know where he is, trying to hide because he doesn’t want to fight Ciryl Gane.” (h/t Bloody Elbow)

Cortes-Acosta isn’t the only star fighter who is impatient with Aspinall and his team. Former two-division champion Henry Cejudo called for Aspinall to relinquish his heavyweight title to allow the division to move on.

Should the UFC strip Tom Aspinall of his title? Share your thoughts in the comments!

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