Credit: Waleed Zein/Anadolu
UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen believes Tom Aspinall deserves immense credit for vacating the heavyweight title amidst his recovery.
Tom Aspinall stole the headlines earlier this week when he announced he was vacating the UFC heavyweight title to focus on his health issues. Aspinall suffered multiple eye injuries against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 last year, and has suffered several setbacks in his recovery in recent months.
Now, Gane will likely face another top contender for the undisputed heavyweight championship later this year. Josh Hokit and former UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira are two potential options for Gane’s next fight.
During his injury hiatus, Aspinall has been questioned by fans and pundits for his lengthy absence. Some questioned the severity of his eye injuries, which led to a no-contest ruling at UFC 321.
UFC Hall of Famer Chael Sonnen was one of Aspinall’s strongest critics in recent months, but took a serious U-turn after Aspinall vacated the belt.
Chael Sonnen admits he ‘got it wrong’ with his reaction to Tom Aspinall’s injury
In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Sonnen was asked for his reaction to Aspinall’s title vacation.
“I’m one of those fans (who questioned Aspinall’s injury)… we got this wrong,” Sonnen said of Aspinall.
“Guys get poked in the eye all the time and they keep on fighting. We didn’t know. We got it wrong, and I feel terrible for the guy. If there’s any injury I could have, the last one I would want is something with my eye. That’s a very real life thing that can impact you.
“It was handled right,” Sonnen continued on Aspinall. “I do think it was handled with grace, and I think that, aside from the UFC doing it right, Tom did a tremendous job. It’s a very honorable thing. I think everybody here did everything right.” (h/t Bloody Elbow)
Who deserves to fight Ciryl Gane in the next UFC heavyweight title fight? Share your thoughts in the comments!
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