Monday, Sept. 14, 2026, will be a day that will live in MMA and UFC lore for years to come. The UFC’s heavyweight division again went back to square one during the early hours of the week. Its champion, Tom Aspinall, responded to UFC CEO Dana White’s remarks from Saturday: Aspinall is officially no longer the UFC Heavyweight Champion after vacating his title.
England’s Aspinall (15-3, 1 NC MMA) took to social media to make it official, as it has been over 300 days since his last UFC fight after suffering in-fight, non-recoverable eye pokes that halted his UFC 321 main event vs. Cyril Gane (14-2, 1 NC MMA) last October.
In a lengthy Instagram post, Aspinall, 33, addressed all online speculation that his time in MMA, or combat sports, will soon come to an end. Instead, he admitted that he is putting himself first during a challenging phase of his career while the division moves along and the calendar year winds down.
Why Tom Aspinall Vacated UFC Heavyweight Title
“I’ve now made the decision to vacate the heavyweight title,” Aspinall wrote as part of a post that is approaching nearly 170,000 likes and 4,000 comments at press time. “I’ve asked the UFC to allow me to make this statement because I don’t want to hold the heavyweight division up. I know what it’s like to have your career put on hold and I want the other fighters to have the opportunity to compete for the title.”
Similarly to what both White and Aspinall previously stated, both parties are alligned on what’s next.
“The UFC and [CBO] Hunter [Campbell] have been informed every step of the way and have seen the tests, procedures and medical information relating to my eyes,” Aspinall added. “We have worked closely with different doctors and specialists to try and make my return happen, but unfortunately, it’s simply not possible right now.”
Lastly, Aspinall clarified how he is handling all of this mentally, stripping away the UFC drama altogether.
Tom Aspinall Addresses Ongoing UFC Eye Injuries
“What makes this particularly difficult is that many of the complications I’m dealing with are a result of fouls that changed the course of my career,” Aspinall wrote. “Fighters rely on officials to enforce the rules and protect us in those moments, and it’s hard to still be dealing with the consequences today. Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout this absolute nightmare. I’ll be back as soon as I’m medically able to be.”
The UFC has not addressed Aspinall’s comments yet, but the promotion has two realistic vacant title fights it could set up.
2 Ways UFC Heavyweight Division Could Resume in Tom Aspinall’s Absence
The first is a rematch between France’s Gane and Brazil’s ex-two-division champion Alex Pereira (13-4 MMA). Gane beat Pereira by second-round TKO stoppage to win the interim title in June at UFC Freedom 250, which prevented Pereira from becoming the first fighter in UFC history to hold three belts in three divisions during various points of a career (middleweight, light heavyweight, heavyweight).
Simplifying the possibilities, No.4-ranked heavyweight Josh Hokit (10-0 MMA) of California has previously been vocal about where he fits in the title picture as he is 4-0 in the UFC following a TKO win on the same card as Pereira-Gane over former title challenger Derrick Lewis (29-14 MMA).
Either way the UFC decides to go, the heavyweight division has a path forward.
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