Tom Aspinall’s father has provided an update on the fighter’s eye injury, three days after his son’s painful clash with Ciryl Gane at UFC 321.
The heavyweight champion’s first title defence in Abu Dhabi ended in chaos after Gane accidentally poked him in both eyes late in the opening round. With just 25 seconds left on the clock, the Manchester-born fighter was deemed unable to continue, forcing the bout to be ruled a no-contest.
Aspinall was rushed to a local hospital after the fight, where doctors reassured him that the damage wasn’t “dangerous”. But days later, his father and coach, Andy Aspinall, revealed the reality is far from reassuring.
“We got an appointment yesterday morning with a friend of ours who is one of the doctors at the UFC, and he got us a private appointment at Cheadle hospital,” Andy said in a new update on Tom’s YouTube channel.
“He [the doctor] said, it’s bad, it’s not good,” Andy said. “His eye is a little bit more closed than it was, and his right eye, he still can’t see anything, it’s just grey.
“His left eye, 50 per cent, so one’s really blurry and one’s still not working.
“His [left] eye isn’t following properly, so the muscles aren’t working strong enough.”
Andy confirmed that Tom will undergo further tests this week, including a CT scan “to see if the bone is alright, but they do think it is.”
The full video can be seen below, and shows the concerned father reacting to footage of the fight, and responding to UFC boss Dana White’s “who gives a s***” comments following the bout:
The update paints a grim picture for the 32-year-old, who was expected to face Gane again in an immediate rematch once medically cleared. Dana White even suggested that a rematch was “a total pain in the a**, but yes [we will book a rematch],” adding that “a rematch is very interesting.”
British UFC legend Michael Bisping had speculated that the fight could happen as early as UFC 323 on December 6, but given Aspinall’s current condition, that is looking more unlikely with each passing day.
While the news has sparked frustration among fans, Andy Aspinall used his video update to remind viewers that his son’s health comes first — not his belt.
“For me, everything is about his health. It’s not about the fighting – that’s just what he chose to do as a job,” Andy said.
He was clear that there was no bad blood with Gane personally, clarifying that he wasn’t accusing the Frenchman of intent. But he did question whether the UFC is doing enough to protect its athletes.
“Something needs to be done in the sport to stop that happening,” he insisted, later asking, “What [will] it take?” for the UFC to tighten its rules around fouls like eye pokes.
The father of three also pointed out that Tom has a young family to consider.
“This is just a job that he’s doing at this period in time, and he’ll do another job,” Andy added, underlining that his son’s long-term wellbeing outweighs any championship ambitions.
The accident has reignited a long-running debate in MMA circles over the UFC’s approach to eye pokes. The promotion introduced redesigned gloves in mid-2024 to reduce incidents, but reverted to its old design just months later.
“No matter what you do with the glove, they’re going to happen,” Dana White said at the UFC 321 post-fight press conference — a comment that hasn’t gone down well with many fans or fighters calling for reform.
Andy Aspinall isn’t the first to voice concern, but his words have hit home given his son’s current state. “He could have lost his sight,” he warned. “He’s still not got his sight in one eye, so we don’t know. We’re still waiting. Time is a healer, hopefully.”
Andy even hinted that boxing — a sport with more rigid safety protocols — might be a safer, more lucrative option for his son’s future.
For now, Tom Aspinall remains under medical supervision and will undergo more tests to assess his recovery timeline. Whether or not he returns to the Octagon anytime soon may depend not on a rematch contract, but on something far more important — his ability to see clearly again.
As Andy summed up: “It’s bad, it’s not good.”
Featured image credit: YouTube/Tom Aspinall Official (Screenshot)
