UFC Champion Tom Aspinall Returns to Training Following Double-Eye Surgery

UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall isn’t ready to get back into the cage yet, but he’s at least healthy enough to be training again.

It’s now been nearly six months since fans saw Aspinall enter the Octagon at UFC 321, where he was slated to defended his undisputed heavyweight belt for the first time in the night’s headlining bout against Ciryl Gane.

The highly-anticipated fight came to a disappointing end when Aspinall was poked in both eyes during the opening round and left unable to continue, and since then there’s been no concrete update on when the UFC star should be healthy enough to finally return to competition.

Tom Aspinall Drops New Update Following Double Eye-Surgery

Following a lengthy break from posting, Aspinall recently uploaded a new video to his YouTube channel and let fans know that he’s finally resumed light training after undergoing surgery on both of his eyes.

“Welcome back to the channel, I know we’ve not done one of these for quite some time," Aspinall said. "Not a lot going on, just been back in the gym. Doing a little bit of light training, still waiting to get fully cleared for contact on my eye. But - we are back in the gym, doing a little bit.”

Tom Aspinall (blue gloves) reacts to beating Sergei Pavlovich (red gloves) during UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden. | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Unbeaten in the UFC outside of a 15-second injury TKO in his first meeting with Curtis Blaydes in 2023, Aspinall was promoted from interim to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion when Jon Jones announced his retirement over the summer and vacated the promotion’s heavyweight belt.

Interim Heavyweight Title Fight Set For UFC White House Card

Aspinall had already defended his interim title once in a rematch with Blaydes while waiting for a title unification bout with Jones, and the UFC 321 matchup with Gane unfortunately ended up being an inauspicious start to his undisputed title reign.

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

The 32-year-old and UFC CEO Dana White appeared to be at odds regarding the health of his eyes and a potential return timeline in the immediate aftermath of UFC 321, but things seem to have settled down on that front now that the promotion has booked an interim heavyweight title bout for “Freedom Fights 250” on June 14. Scheduled to take place at The White House, “Freedom Fights 250” is headlined by a lightweight title unification bout between undefeated UFC star Ilia Topuria and Justin Gaethje.

Alex Pereira (blue gloves) reacts before the fight against Magomed Ankalaev (red gloves) during UFC 320 at T-Mobile Arena. | Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Gane will return for the first time since his meeting with Aspinall in the card's co-main event, where Alex Pereira will try to make UFC history by securing a title in a third weight class and potentially set up a massive showdown with Aspinall.