UFC Champ Tom Aspinall ‘Might Not Ever Fight Again’ After Brutal Eye Poke Horror
UFC heavyweight king Tom Aspinall faces a career-defining battle after a "catastrophic" eye injury at UFC 321. With the champ facing multiple surgeries, Joe Rogan warns he "might not ever fight again." Aspinall remains defiant, but his future hangs on a critical procedure this January.
Tom Aspinall is scheduled for a second critical eye surgery in mid-January following his no-contest bout against Ciryl Gane.
Aspinall, 32, has been sidelined since October 2025, when his title defence against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 ended in a no-contest due to a severe accidental eye poke. While fans initially hoped for a quick recovery, new details suggest the damage is far more significant than first feared.
Speaking on a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan offered a brutal assessment of the injury, describing the incident as a "f***ing disaster" and revealing that the champion is still struggling with vision loss months after the event.
"The Tom Aspinall-Ciryl Gane thing was a f***ing disaster," Rogan said. "Tom Aspinall still can't see."
The injury has thrown the heavyweight division into chaos. With Jon Jones retired, Aspinall (15-3) was poised to usher in a new era for the division. Instead, he faces a complex medical road map. He has already undergone one surgery, with a second critical procedure scheduled for mid-January.
Rogan did not mince words regarding the risks of the upcoming operation.
"The reality is he might not ever fight again," Rogan warned. "Tom's facing multiple surgeries, and if it doesn't go right, that's it. If something goes wrong... he might retire."
Rogan drew parallels to UFC legend Michael Bisping, who famously fought the latter half of his career with one functioning eye. However, the commentator noted that Aspinall’s situation described as "double trouble" with damage to both eyes presents a far steeper physiological hurdle.
Despite the grim prognosis from insiders, Aspinall remains defiant. In a raw interview from the hospital, the Salford-born fighter acknowledged the severity of his condition but refused to concede his career.
"Both eyes need work" Aspinall admitted, confirming the extent of the trauma.
However, his focus remains locked on a return to the octagon. Dismissing talk of retirement or interim bouts, Aspinall insists his only target is a trilogy fight with Gane to settle the unfinished business.
"That’s the fight that makes sense" he declared.
The uncertainty surrounding Aspinall has left the UFC’s marquee division in a state of flux. With the champion’s return timeline indefinite, contenders like Jailton Almeida are circling the throne.
But for now, the MMA world waits for the results of the mid-January surgery. In a sport defined by physical trauma, Aspinall’s story serves as a gut-punch reminder of the fragility of a fighter's legacy. As Rogan concluded, one accidental poke may have shattered it all.
