UFC Champion Tom Aspinall sets clear plan for return fight after eye surgeries

He’s not back to training yet, but there’s no doubt in Tom Aspinall’s mind that he wants to run things back with Ciryl Gane when he returns to the UFC Octagon.

The UFC’s heavyweight champion saw his undisputed title reign get off to an inauspicious start in October, as a UFC 321 main event between himself and Gane ended late in the first round due to an eye poke that left Aspinall unable to continue.

The 32-year-old is still feeling the effects of the foul, leaving MMA fans to wonder when Aspinall will finally be able to get back into the cage in 2026 and get a second crack at defending his heavyweight belt for the first time.

Tom Aspinall Prioritizing Health After UFC 321

Speaking with One-on-One MMA (h/t Red Corner MMA), Aspinall was asked if there’s any concern at this point that he may never return to fighting due to the damage sustained to his eyes at UFC 321.

“I’m just thinking about my health at the minute, to be honest,” Aspinall answered. “I’m not even thinking about any of that stuff. ‘Cause, you’ve gotta like, take one step at a time, don’t you? You can’t be doing that.”

Tom Aspinall during the aftermath of his UFC 321 fight with Ciryl Gane. | (Giuseppe CACACE / AFP)

While the outcome of the highly-anticipated UFC 321 main event was obviously disappointing for many fans, it’s still been surprising to see how much criticism has been levied at Aspinall in the aftermath of the event, both for not being able to continue and for the amount of time he’ll apparently need to get back to full health.

Aspinall Offers Grim Promise For Ciryl Gane Rematch

Even though a return timeline is still unclear at the moment, Aspinall did assure fans that the first priority for his UFC return will be to schedule a rematch with Gane and erase the memory of their first meeting.

Ciryl Gane (red gloves) fights Alexander Volkov (blues gloves) at T-Mobile Arena. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

“Obviously, the plan is to go back and beat the living daylights out of Ciryl Gane. That’s the plan. But right now, the short-term plan is to get back where I should be, get back in the gym.”

A former interim UFC heavyweight titleholder, Gane currently occupies the division’s #1 spot after securing back-to-back wins over Serghei Spivac and Alexander Volkov. Those victories followed his second undisputed title bid against Jon Jones, who submitted “Bon Gamin” in just over two minutes at UFC 285 to win the vacant heavyweight belt.

Jon Jones (red gloves) fights Stipe Miocoic (blue gloves) in the heavyweight bout during UFC 309 at Madison Square Garden. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Aspinall was promoted from interim to undisputed heavyweight champion upon Jones’ retirement last summer, but it didn’t take long for “Bones” to start discussing the possibility of a return fight at the UFC’s planned event at The White House in 2026.

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