Tom Aspinall Aims for 2026 UFC Comeback After Eye Injury Recovery

Excellent news for fans and the UFC heavyweight division: reigning champion Tom Aspinall is making significant progress towards an anticipated return to the octagon later in 2026.

Last year, Aspinall became the undisputed champion after Jon Jones vacated his title and announced his retirement. However, his initial title defense against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 ended disastrously in the first round due to a double eye-poke, preventing him from continuing the fight.

Aspinall suffered serious injuries during his bout with Gane and underwent surgery on both eyes last month. Complications following these procedures initially sidelined him completely, preventing him from even light training.

Nevertheless, the latest update from the British fighter is highly promising. Appearing on *The Ariel Helwani Show*, Tom Aspinall was asked about the likelihood of defending his heavyweight title in 2026. He expressed optimism, stating:

“I hope so. I think so. They are giving me every indication that everything is going in the right direction, and I am improving fast. There was a time when things were all up in the air because we had some complications with it, but everything now is moving good, and I’m feeling a lot better.”

Aspinall also shared that after the eye injury, he genuinely feared he might never be able to train in MMA again, a sport he has been involved with since he was eight years old.

“I just thought about what I am going to do for the rest of my life. I’ve been involved in martial arts since I was 8 years old… Without being able to do any kind of martial arts.”

Concluding his remarks, the 32-year-old champion added:

“That’s all in the past, mate. I’m out of the dark, and we’re moving towards the light, so I’m absolutely buzzing.”

Tom Aspinall's View on the Interim Heavyweight Title Bout

With Tom Aspinall temporarily out of action, an interim UFC heavyweight title fight between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane has been scheduled for June 14 at UFC Freedom 250. Aspinall shared his perspective on this development:

“I mean, who else is going to fight? The division’s on its a*s. There’s not many big fights to make, is there? So they’ve got to do what they’ve got to do. Obviously, I want to fight the winner of that. Just waiting now to get the green light, the all clear from the doctor to start training properly again. As soon as we can start training properly again, full contact in the gym, we will be getting a fight date booked to fight the winner.”

By regulation, Aspinall is expected to face the soon-to-be-crowned interim UFC heavyweight champion upon his return. However, it's evident the British fighter has Ciryl Gane specifically in his sights, seeking revenge for the eye poke incident that prematurely ended their last encounter and temporarily halted his career.