Tom Aspinall vacates UFC heavyweight title due to eye injury

UFC mixed martial arts heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has vacated his title after suffering ongoing complications from an eye injury sustained during his bout with Ciryl Gane last year, the British fighter said.

“I had previously agreed to a fight date and was back sparring, feeling great and ready to compete when an accident caused further damage to my right eye,” Aspinall wrote on Instagram on Monday.

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“This means more time away from the sport, and right now, the timing of my return is unclear.”

The 33-year-old has undergone multiple surgeries since receiving severe eye pokes in his title defence against Gane in Abu Dhabi in October last year. The contest was ruled a first-round no-contest after Aspinall was unable to continue.

Tom Aspinall sustained an eye injury during his fight against Ciryl Gane [File: Rula Rouhana/Reuters]

Aspinall said he had decided to relinquish the belt rather than delay the division while he recovers.

His departure clears the way for Ciryl Gane, who captured the interim heavyweight title with a victory over Alex Pereira in June, to be elevated to undisputed champion.

Despite vacating the belt, Aspinall stressed that he was not retiring and remains determined to compete again.

“Stepping away from the title is not stepping away from the sport or the dream,” he wrote.

“I’ll continue doing everything I can to get healthy, get cleared and get back to competing as soon as possible.”