Tom Aspinall is finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. After months of frustrating eye issues that sidelined the undisputed heavyweight champion, he’s now on the verge of a full recovery—and he already has his next target locked in.
It all started back in October at UFC 321, where Aspinall made his first title defense against Ciryl Gane. What should have been a defining moment turned into a nightmare when a nasty eye poke late in the first round forced the fight to a no-contest. Since then, Aspinall has been battling a series of complications, keeping him out of the Octagon and away from sparring. But the wait is almost over.
“We’re just on route back from the eye hospital,” Aspinall shared in a recent YouTube update. “I had a scan today, and things are progressing really nicely. They’re saying pretty soon, if things keep moving in the right direction, I’ll be cleared for contact. I’m back in the gym, back training—but no sparring yet. If things keep going the way they are, we’re back.”
While Aspinall has been on the mend, the UFC didn’t sit still. With no clear timeline for his return, the promotion created an interim heavyweight title that will be contested by Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane in the co-main event of UFC White House. And Aspinall has already been told who he’ll face next.
“Everyone keeps asking when I’m going to fight,” he said. “The obvious answer is the other two guys—Alex and Ciryl—have to fight for the interim title. I’m obviously going to fight the winner. The UFC has told me that I’m fighting the winner. So first and foremost, I should get my health right, which is on the right track. I have to wait for that to be done, and we fight the winner. Simple as that.”
As for a specific date? Aspinall isn’t rushing things. “No specific month. I’m waiting to get clearance, which is going to be coming soon. And any specific month depends on the UFC. Those two have got to fight each other. Let them do the thing first. Recover from that, and then, when everybody’s ready, we’ll do it.”
With his return on the horizon and a stacked heavyweight division waiting, Aspinall’s comeback could be one of the biggest stories of the year. Whether it’s Pereira’s knockout power or Gane’s technical striking, one thing is certain: the winner will have a date with the champion—and the champion is almost ready to fight.