Tom Aspinall responds to Dana White downplaying eye injury, updates recovery timetable | MMA Fighting Skip to main content Come Fight With UsSaturday, May 23, 2026MMA Fighting homepage The Feed Tom Aspinall is counting the days until he can get back into the octagon, even if not everyone seems to believe him. It’s been an awkward heavyweight title reign for Aspinall, who was promoted from interim champion to undisputed status following Jon Jones’ retirement in June 2025. Aspinall’s first title defense as undisputed champion ended in disaster for all parties involved as challenger Ciryl Gane poked him in the eye in the opening round, leading to the bout ending in under five minutes and being declared a no-contest. Making matters much worse, Aspinall is still on the mend from the eye injuries suffered in that fight. UFC CEO Dana White initially seemed to downplay the severity of Aspinall’s injuries, later clarifying he didn’t intend to “say anything negative” about Aspinall, but the two are still not on the same page.
Published: May 22, 2026 3:00 pm
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