Tom Aspinall has decided to vacate his UFC heavyweight title.
The Briton said in a shock update on his Instagram on Monday morning that 'ongoing complications' with his eyes mean he can't get medically cleared to fight.
Aspinall hasn't fought in almost a year, with his last bout against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 in October 2025 ending in a no contest when he sustained a nasty double eye poke.
The now-former UFC heavyweight champion has since been diagnosed with bilateral traumatic Brown's syndrome and underwent surgery in both eyes.
UFC CEO Dana White revealed this past weekend that, after learning his heavyweight champion was still hurt, he would have internal conversations about Aspinall vacating the belt.
And it seems both parties have agreed it is the best solution for now.
Aspinall's full statement
"Anything you read in the media is simply noise. People are creating their own narratives," Aspinall wrote.
"This is the truth: Ongoing complications with my eyes mean I cannot get medically cleared to fight right now.
"IâÂÂve had multiple surgeries, accidents and infections, and done everything possible to get back to competing.
"I had previously agreed to a fight date and was back sparring, feeling great and ready to compete when an accident caused further damage to my right eye. This means more time away from the sport, and right now, the timing of my return is unclear.
"I know there have been questions about why IâÂÂve been quiet. IâÂÂve always followed the advice of the UFC and focused on my recovery while weâÂÂve tried to make this happen.
"IâÂÂve now made the decision to vacate the heavyweight title. IâÂÂve asked the UFC to allow me to make this statement because I donâÂÂt want to hold the heavyweight division up.
"I know what itâÂÂs like to have your career put on hold and I want the other fighters to have the opportunity to compete for the title.
"The UFC and Hunter have been informed every step of the way and have seen the tests, procedures and medical information relating to my eyes.
"We have worked closely with different doctors and specialists to try and make my return happen, but unfortunately, itâÂÂs simply not possible right now.
"IâÂÂm absolutely gutted. IâÂÂve chased this dream since I was 10 years old. IâÂÂm not done.
"Stepping away from the title is not stepping away from the sport or the dream. IâÂÂll continue doing everything I can to get healthy, get cleared and get back to competing as soon as possible.
"What makes this particularly difficult is that many of the complications IâÂÂm dealing with are a result of fouls that changed the course of my career.
"Fighters rely on officials to enforce the rules and protect us in those moments, and itâÂÂs hard to still be dealing with the consequences today.
"Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this absolute nightmare.
"IâÂÂll be back as soon as IâÂÂm medically able to be."
This is a developing story and is being updated.
For the latest updates, breaking news alerts, and comprehensive analysis, refresh this page or follow our real-time news coverage by watching and listening to talkSPORT live.
For broader context, explore related coverage on our homepage for the top trending stories. For the latest talkSPORT videos, download the app.
talkSPORT cares about getting it right, not just getting it first and because this is a developing situation, details will change. We will be updating this page constantly with verified info, expert takes, and official statements.
Stay tuned for further developments as this story continues to break.
talkSPORT.com has collectively voted on the best fighters to form a regularly updated UFC pound-for-pound (P4P) rankings system for the rest of 2026 and beyond.
Our P4P list will be updated regularly based on performances in the Octagon â with wins, records, title wins and defences, calibre of opponents, methods of victory and much more all determining who makes it.
UFC champions Islam Makhachev, Tom Aspinall and Sean Strickland feature - but big stars such as Alex Pereira and Arman Tsarukyan miss out.