Following recovery, Aspinall started training and sparring. Reportedly, he was scheduled to run it back with Gane at UFC 334 on November 14. However, his comeback plans got delayed when he was hit in the right eye while sparring.

Britain’s Tom Aspinall reacts after being hit in the eye while fighting France’s Ciryl Gane during their UFC heavyweight title bout at UFC 321 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi early on October 26, 2025. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP via Getty Images)

The Brit re-injured his right eye, and once the doctors assessed the issue, they clearly stated that he cannot even think about fighting at the moment. Aspinall will have another eye scan in January 2027, and if the injuries don’t heal by then, he might have to go under the knife again. Due to these ongoing complications, Aspinall decided to vacate the UFC heavyweight title, as he has no intention of holding up the 265-pound division.

Former UFC Champ explains why Tom Aspinall may never fight again in the UFC

Former UFC flyweight titleholder Demetrious Johnson believes Tom Aspinall will never enter the octagon again. “Mighty Mouse” has also said that if he were in Aspinall’s position, he would not risk losing his vision. In a recent video, explaining why, Johnson said:

“We don’t know if we’ll ever see Tom Aspinall again inside the UFC octagon. Deep down in my gut, I would say no. I wouldn’t risk the opportunity of losing my vision, not being able to see my children. I’ll be shocked if Tom Aspinall fights again. Just because when it comes to fighting, when it comes to training, that eye is always going to be compromised. Is he willing to take the risk? I wouldn’t take that risk. This is something that he is going to be battling for the rest of his life, believe it or not.”

Johnson added that if Aspinall does compete in the future, rivals will target his eye to bother him and make him easy game:

“Let’s say he’s fighting somebody, and somebody goes, ‘I am going to target that motherf**king eye. Legally, you could do that. He could potentially lose his eye… His eye is now a compromised target. If I were fighting Tom Aspinall, I would bust that fu**ing eye out.”

Check out Demetrious Johnson’s comments about Tom Aspinall below:

Subham

Subham is a writer and editor with experience spanning MMA, Health & Fitness, true crime, and pop culture. He has previously worked with Sportskeeda MMA, SK True Crime, and SK Pop, Movies, and Shows.
He currently covers the UFC for LowKickMMA and MMA Pros Picks.