Eddie Hearn has revealed the true extent of Tom Aspinall’s eye injury, and the numbers are far worse than many assumed. Speaking with Ariel Helwani, Hearn confirmed that Aspinall has undergone four separate operations since the eye poke he suffered against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321.
“I’m happy that people can see the severity of the injury, because I couldn’t believe the [backlash] he got at the time. He’s had four operations now. It’s an ongoing issue,” Hearn said.
The comments push back against the wave of criticism Aspinall faced in the aftermath of the no-contest, with many fans and fighters alike questioning whether the injury was serious enough to warrant stopping the fight. Hearn’s update suggests the situation was, and continues to be, more complicated than initially understood, with the heavyweight champion still working through complications well after the original incident.
Tom Aspinall Has Not Fought in Over 310 Days
The extended medical saga has come at a real cost to Tom Aspinall’s timeline as champion. He has now gone more than 310 days without stepping into the Octagon, a layoff that has left the heavyweight division largely stalled in his absence.
That inactivity has fueled plenty of outside noise, from fans questioning when he’ll return to rival contenders publicly campaigning for the title to be stripped or handed to someone more active. With four surgeries now on record, though, Hearn’s comments paint a picture of a recovery process that simply hasn’t allowed for a quick turnaround, regardless of the pressure building around the champion.
For now, there’s still no clear timeline on when Aspinall will be medically cleared to return. What is clear, based on Hearn’s account, is that the eye issue has been far more serious and far more persistent than the surface-level narrative suggested when the injury first happened, and it continues to shape whatever comes next for the heavyweight title picture.
Hearn, while discussing whether Tom Aspinall will fight interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane in 2026, told Ariel Helwani –
“I’d like to say true. The problem isn’t really how he feels, it’s whether he’s medically ready to fight and what the commission or the medicals would say.
He’s training, he’s ready, he’s eager to come back. But you can’t afford with that kind of injury to make a poor decision and come back too early… it can cost you your eyesight.”
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