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Tom Aspinall Shares Major Update on Eye Injury and UFC Return Plans

On Sunday, UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall said he is moving forward with multiple eye surgeries and expects to have had surgery on one eye already, with the next procedure coming mid-January.
Following the eye poke at UFC 321, Aspinall's first title defense ended in a No Contest after officials ruled it an accidental eye poke, leaving him with double vision and restricted eye movement.
Aspinall will have completed surgeries on both eyes by mid-January and already plans a second procedure in the early part of 2026, but he declined to provide exact details or a return date.
The UFC has expressed interest in rebooking the Aspinall–Gane heavyweight rematch as soon as Aspinall is cleared for training, but multiple title fights are already scheduled for the first quarter of 2026.
Aspinall says he believes Ciryl Gane intentionally poked him, tensions rose with Dana White, UFC CEO, complicating the heavyweight picture as fans awaited unification amid Jon Jones's retirement this year.

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UFC champ to undergo multiple eye surgeries after eye-poke injury

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall will undergo multiple eye surgeries due to injuries he suffered during a title fight against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 in October.

19 hours ago·Cleveland, United States

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ESPN

+2 Reposted by 2 other sources

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UFC champ Aspinall to have multiple eye surgeries

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is moving forward with multiple eye surgeries, as he continues to deal with the fallout of injuries sustained during a title fight against Ciryl Gane in October.

2 days ago·United States

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Sports Illustrated

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UFC Champion Tom Aspinall shares grim medical update on eye injuries

UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall revealed that he'll be undergoing multiple surgeries to fix the damage sustained to his eyes at UFC 321.

2 days ago·New York, United States

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The Independent

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Tom Aspinall undergoes eye surgery but another awaits before possible UFC comeback

Aspinall was accidentally poked in both eyes by Ciryl Gane in the first round of their UFC 321 heavyweight title clash

2 days ago·London, United Kingdom

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Sportskeeda

Center

Tom Aspinall shares major update on eye injury and UFC return plans

It appears Tom Aspinall's MMA return is some way off. The UFC heavyweight champion got poked in both eyes by Ciryl Gane during their UFC 321 headliner.

2 days ago

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MMA - TheMacLife

Aspinall confirms eye surgery, warns Gane ahead of return

Tom Aspinall has confirmed he will undergo eye surgery after sustaining vision problems during his no-contest fight with Ciryl Gane, as the UFC heavyweight champion outlined his recovery plans and issued a warning to his rival. The injury occurred in the opening round of their bout several weeks ago when Aspinall was struck by accidental eye pokes, forcing the contest to be stopped and ruled a no-contest. Subsequent medical assessments identifie…

22 hours ago

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