‘That’s the plan’ – Tom Aspinall delivers new injury update as he undergoes surgery after UFC eye poke

Dec 29, 2025 - 12:30

Tom Aspinall has given a new update on his recovery as he looks towards a rematch with Ciryl Gane.

Aspinall suffered a brutal double-eye poke during the first defence of his heavyweight title against Gane at UFC 321.

Tom Aspinall struggling to see in the Octagon after a double-eye poke from Ciryl Gane

Aspinall was still struggling to see out of his right eye for days after the clash, but two months later he seems to be making good progress[/caption]

His injury brought the action to an abrupt end during the first round and their clash was subsequently deemed a no-contest by the referee.

The Brit has since been navigating the road to recovery after being diagnosed with bilateral traumatic Brown’s syndrome, which required surgery on both eyes.

During the latest video uploaded to his YouTube channel, Aspinall confirmed that he has undergone the first procedure.

The 32-year-old was also asked in the video whether or not he will be pursuing a rematch with Gane once he is fit to fight again.

He responded: “That’s the plan!

“By the time this is coming out, I’ve probably had surgery on one side already.

“Next surgery is coming mid-January.

“We’re working towards getting back, and that’s the plan.”

While Aspinall awaits surgery on his other eye, Gane has shared a series of images and videos on Instagram that detail his return to training.

He captioned the post: “Still no date or opponent yet… but we keep grinding and training hard before the holidays.”

Britain's Tom Aspinall reacts after being hit in the eye while fighting France's Ciryl Gane during their UFC heavyweight title bout at UFC 321 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi early on October 26, 2025 — Aspinall retained his heavyweight title despite the fight ending in a no-contest

Aspinall certainly didn’t hold back from reminding Gane why they haven’t penned another deal yet, as he branded his rival ‘a cheat’ in the comment section.

Will Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane rematch?

While Aspinall follows the required steps to ensure that he won’t cause further damage to his eyes, he is expected to be out of action for several months.

Despite the significant delay, UFC CEO Dana White has made his plans to book a rematch between Aspinall and Gane clear.

But for that to happen, Aspinall must first receive medical approval to return to combat-related activity.

Once that occurs, it seems he is keen to put his UFC heavyweight title on the line once again against Gane.