Tom Aspinall’s Eye Battle: From Knockout to Recovery

Tom Aspinall, the UFC heavyweight champion, is on a long road back after two eye surgeries that followed a controversial fight in October. During the match against Ciryl Gane, Gane’s hand was extended for a jab and two fingers accidentally hit Aspinall in each eye. The referee stopped the bout because Aspinall could not see well enough to continue, and the fight was declared a no‑contest. The injury left his vision severely impaired, so doctors from Optegra have been working closely with him to restore sight suitable for fighting. They posted on social media that the team is proud of their support and that recovery is still in progress.Aspinall has been sidelined for more than a year, hoping to face Jon Jones in a title unification. When Jones stepped away and relinquished his belt, Aspinall became the undisputed champion. His first official defense was against Gane, but the eye poke ended the contest early. UFC chief Dana White said the fight would be rescheduled, but Aspinall’s healing timeline is unclear. Gane also remains inactive while awaiting Aspinall’s clearance for a potential rematch that could settle the heavyweight title. Fans are eager to see whether the champion can regain full vision and return to the octagon soon.