Tom Aspinall Shares Grim Medical Update Confirming Severe Eye Injury from UFC Title Fight
Tom Aspinall released medical documentation on Sunday, November 30, detailing the extent of the eye injury he sustained during his UFC heavyweight title defense against Ciryl Gane on October 25. The British fighter was poked in both eyes during the opening round of UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi, resulting in a no-contest decision after four minutes and 35 seconds.
Medical Documentation: Tom Aspinall Confirms Bilateral Ocular Trauma, Vision Still Impaired
According to the medical report Aspinall shared on social media, he has been diagnosed with bilateral traumatic Brown’s syndrome, a condition affecting both eyes that causes dysfunction of the superior oblique tendon-trochlear mechanism. The condition restricts the upward movement of the eyes when turned inward and is typically congenital but can be acquired through trauma. Aspinall’s case represents an acquired form resulting directly from the double eye-poke incident.
The medical findings documented by the National Health Service confirm orbital soft-tissue trauma in addition to the Brown’s syndrome diagnosis. The clinical assessment revealed several functional impairments. Aspinall experiences persistent diplopia, or double vision, particularly when looking upward or to the sides. Testing demonstrated marked restriction of eye movement in both eyes, with reduced best-corrected visual acuity following the injury. Humphrey visual field testing showed severe bilateral visual field depression. Imaging identified a minimally displaced fracture of the right medial orbital wall, though specialists indicated no acute structural explanation exists for the extent of the functional deficits observed.
Aspinall’s father Andy provided an initial assessment days after the incident, describing the severity of the vision loss. By late October, Aspinall was unable to see from his right eye, describing his vision in that eye as “just grey,” while his left eye functioned at approximately 50 percent capacity. Testing with eye charts confirmed he could not distinguish letters or words in his most affected eye. The tracking failure in his better eye suggested the extraocular muscles were not functioning at full strength.
The injury occurred when Gane extended his fingers while throwing a punch, penetrating deeply into Aspinall’s eye sockets. Referee Jason Herzog had issued at least one prior warning to Gane regarding his extended fingers earlier in the round. Aspinall was given the standard five-minute recovery period but remained unable to continue fighting, leading to the medical stoppage and no-contest ruling.
Medical documentation states that Aspinall must refrain from sparring, training, or competing in combat-related activities until full resolution of the eye impairment and diplopia. As of late November, the NHS notes indicated symptoms remained unresolved, meaning Aspinall has not received medical clearance to return to competition. UFC President Dana White stated immediately after the event that a rematch between Aspinall and Gane would be scheduled as soon as Aspinall received medical clearance, though the fighter’s ongoing vision issues suggest the timeline remains uncertain.
