Tom Aspinall Confirms Plans to Fight in 2026
There is good news for the UFC heavyweight division and fans. Champion Tom Aspinall is getting ready to return to the octagon later this year.
Last year, after Jon Jones vacated his title and retired, Aspinall was elevated from interim to undisputed champion. However, his first title defense against Ciryl Gane ended in a disaster as he was double eye-poked in Round 1 at UFC 321 and could not continue.
Aspinall suffered serious injuries during his fight with Gane, and last month, he had surgery on both eyes. Due to complications following surgery, Aspinall was not cleared to even train.
However, the latest update from the Brit sounds promising. Tom Aspinall appeared on The Ariel Helwani Show, where he was asked if he would defend his heavyweight title in 2026. He said:
“I hope so. I think so. They are giving me the 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 added that after the eye injury, he was afraid he might never be able to train MMA again:
“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.”
Lastly, the 32-year-old 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.”
Check out Tom Aspinall’s comments below:
Tom Aspinall reacts to UFC Freedom 250 co-main event
With Tom Aspinall sidelined, the interim UFC heavyweight title will be up for grabs on June 14, and Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane are set to fight for it. This past weekend, when the promotion announced the White House bouts, Aspinall reacted to the “Poatan” vs. “Bon Gamin” fight and quipped:
“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.”
Check out Tom Aspinall’s comments below:
By law, Aspinall is expected to face the soon-to-be-crowned interim UFC heavyweight champion when he returns. However, the Brit has Ciryl Gane in his crosshairs and is seeking revenge for the eye poke that stalled his career.
