Tom Aspinall disappointed in Dana White as potential eye surgeries loom despite his contributions to the UFC

Tom Aspinalls return to the UFC may take longer than anticipated. After losing a year of his career due to events outside the octagon, the heavyweight champion faced another setback against Ciryl Gane. Their UFC 321 main event in October ended in the first round when an accidental double eye-poke forced Aspinall to stop fighting. The match was declared a no-contest, and the champion was rushed to a hospital in Abu Dhabi.

Following the fight, UFC President Dana White confirmed Aspinalls hospitalization and promised a rematch. However, Aspinall was upset by Whites statement suggesting he chose not to continue and that they had discussed it. Speaking to The Ariel Helwani Show on Uncrowned, Aspinall said, "Slightly disappointing, because he hadn't spoke to me. He was already giving updates on my health, and he had no idea what was going on. Disappointing, mate. Disappointing."

Over a month after the incident, Aspinall has not spoken directly with White and does not expect to. "I've spoken to the UFC since, but I've not spoken to Dana," he explained. "Me and Dana don't really speak like that anyway, so no. Ever. Not really [surprising]. I've said hello here and there, but I don't really have a relationship with Dana. I have a relationship with [UFC CBO] Hunter [Campbell]."

The champion criticized Whites public updates, which suggested there was no serious injury. "I've done a lot for the UFC. Disappointing," Aspinall added. The injury could involve corneal abrasions, similar to what Belal Muhammad experienced in a fight with Leon Edwards. Aspinall has not confirmed the exact diagnosis but indicated that surgery on both eyes remains a possibility.

Currently, Aspinall is limited to light weightlifting and cardio. He continues to experience double vision and dizziness with rapid movements, leaving his return date uncertain. "Obviously, I want to get back as soon as possible," he said. "That's the plan, but with eyes, you have to be careful. They dont really know when Im going to be back at the moment. I'm still not cleared to train or do anything. They're talking about doing surgery on both eyes. I have to get an injection in the eyeball soon. So I'm not looking forward to that."

Aspinalls time at the top of the division has been dramatic. After winning interim gold against Sergei Pavlovich in November 2023, he defended it against Curtis Blaydes while waiting for a unification bout with Jon Jones. When Jones retired, Aspinall became the undisputed champion. Despite becoming a fan favorite, the eye-poke incident has altered public perception.

"We put the doctor's reports out recently," Aspinall said. "People genuinely think that I faked this. Did people actually see the replay of what happened? It was a full-on eye-poke. Then people say I'm milking it. Bro, if you don't believe the eye-poke and the doctor's reports, what are we doing? I didn't make this up."

Criticism has also come from former champion Jon Jones, who recently called Aspinall a quitter due to previous injuries. Aspinall dismissed the comments as trolling. "Good for him, man. I thought this guy was the GOAT. Focus on yourself, bro. You're retired. Just enjoy yourself," he said.

Jones initially agreed to a $30 million UFC offer to fight Aspinall but later declined. Aspinall holds no grudges and noted he would have taken a similar opportunity if offered. "$30 million? I wouldn't find $30 mil, mate. I'll take that. I was getting nowhere near that," he stated.

Author: Sophia Brooks