Tom Aspinall Denies UFC Exit Rumors After 10 Months Out With Eye Injury

Tom Aspinall shut down the exit rumors himself on Wednesday, August 26. The UFC heavyweight champion posted an official statement on social media saying, in plain terms, "I'm not leaving the UFC."

That statement didn't come out of nowhere. Aspinall has been out of action for more than 10 months. His last completed fight was a first-round knockout of Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 back on July 27, 2024. Since then, injury has kept him out of the cage almost entirely.

His most recent appearance, at UFC 321 on October 25, 2025 against interim champion Ciryl Gane, ended in a no-contest. Aspinall suffered bilateral traumatic Brown's syndrome after an accidental double eye poke during the fight. It required three separate surgical procedures: one on his left eye and two on his right. The first operation didn't happen until February 11, 2026, a full 109 days after the injury occurred.

According to Forbes, Aspinall was medically cleared to compete again in July 2026. As of today, no return date has been announced.

Why the rumors started

Three things collided to fuel speculation that Aspinall might walk away from the UFC entirely.

First, he signed with Eddie Hearn of Matchroom as his manager. Hearn and UFC CEO Dana White have been locked in a public war of words for months. When your manager and your boss are openly feuding, people notice.

Second, Forbes reported that Hearn has floated buying out Aspinall's UFC contract outright. That detail made fight fans assume the worst, especially when paired with a long layoff and no clear timeline for a comeback.

Third, Aspinall's own coach made public comments that added fuel to the fire, according to Forbes. A lengthy absence, a contentious management situation, and a coach stoking the narrative created a rumor cycle that was probably inevitable.

What Aspinall actually said

Despite all that noise, Aspinall's Wednesday statement was unambiguous. He's not leaving. Forbes reported he is now in daily discussions with the promotion about his return.

A fighter actively negotiating his comeback with the UFC is not a fighter plotting his exit. Whether Hearn's buyout offer was ever seriously on the table, or just leverage in a broader negotiation, remains unclear. Neither Hearn nor White has offered a detailed public accounting of where those talks actually stand.

What's next

The most likely scenario, according to Forbes, is a unification rematch against interim champion Ciryl Gane. Given the no-contest result from their October 2025 meeting, a rematch makes obvious sense, both for closure and for business. Forbes reported that fight could potentially headline UFC 334 in November, though the UFC has not confirmed that date or matchup.

That leaves a real gap between what's being reported as likely and what's actually locked in. No official announcement has been made on a return date, opponent, or event. Aspinall says he's medically cleared and in daily talks with the promotion. That's progress from a fighter who spent nearly a year recovering from an injury nobody saw coming.

The question now is straightforward: does the UFC formally announce Aspinall versus Gane 2, and does it land on the UFC 334 card in November as speculated? Until White's promotion makes that call official, the Hearn buyout chatter, the coach's comments, and the feud with White are noise around a fighter who says his mind is already made up.