Last year, Tom Aspinall’s heavyweight title defense ended in disappointment after Ciryl Gane accidentally double eye-poked him at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi, resulting in a No Contest. Initially, a quick recovery and heated rematch felt inevitable. However, the situation turned serious when Aspinall revealed he was diagnosed with Brown’s Syndrome. With such a delicate eye injury, even Joe Rogan now questions whether the Brit will ever return to the Octagon.

Aspinall shared crucial details about his eye recovery process on his YouTube channel last month. The 265-pound king will undergo surgery on both eyes by mid-January, marking a clear step in the right direction. Still, UFC color commentator Joe Rogan believes the Manchester native could see his UFC career come to a halt, as surgery always carries serious risks.

Tom Aspinall Faces a Fight Beyond Fists

“It’s a disaster that Tom Aspinall still can’t see. He has got a f—ed up right eyeball still. The reality is, he might not ever fight again. Like, who knows? Like, if he has surgery in his eyes and it doesn’t go well, and he can’t see out of that eye. Apparently, he’s still f–ed up in his right eye. There’s some tendon damage or something, and eyes are so tricky, you never know.” Rogan stated during his recent JRE podcast episode. 

As the UFC commentator rightly suspects, eye surgery is an extremely delicate medical procedure, and anything unfortunate can happen. In Aspinall’s case, the UK National Health Service has detailed that the Brit is suffering from double vision and other related issues, which are clearly serious conditions. The heavyweight champion also revealed that his right eye was more compromised due to the poke.

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Furthermore, while Rogan suggested that Aspinall might not actually make a comeback, he also offered an interesting example pointing toward hope. The commentator-podcaster referenced Michael Bisping’s career, highlighting how the former middleweight champion fought despite losing one eye, slightly suggesting Aspinall could potentially follow a similar path.

“Unless you’re a complete psychopath like Michael Bisping, who fought 11 fights in the UFC blind in one eye, which is so crazy that he did that.” Joe Rogan added. 

Now, whether Tom Aspinall returns with one good eye or walks away from the sport entirely remains to be seen. For now, at least, the English powerhouse is pushing for a comeback while vowing to destroy Ciryl Gane in a potential rematch. 

The Heavyweight Champion Outlines His Long & Short Term Plans

Tom Aspinall is usually a very chill, gentle-giant type who likes to poke fun at his opponents. But it’s rare to see the British Juggernaut so animated that he resorts to trash talk. After his last fight ended in controversy, the 265-pound champ appears to have dropped the Mr. Nice Guy act, openly vowing to destroy Ciryl Gane in a potential rematch. 

“I’m just thinking about my health at the minute, to be honest. I’m not even thinking about (retiring) because you’ve got to take one step at a time, don’t you? Obviously the plan is to go back and beat the living daylights out of Ciryl Gane, that’s the plan, but right now, the short-term plan is to get back to where I should be and get back in the gym,” Aspinall told Adam Catterall on the One on One YouTube channel.

Well, it seems Ciryl Gane’s foul in Abu Dhabi clearly sparked a meaner edge in Aspinall, one that seems tailor-made for a heated showdown. With this newfound animosity, the Manchester native also looks motivated to come back stronger, eager to prove a point in the rematch.

That said, the biggest question remains when Aspinall will fully recover and whether an interim title fight could be on the table. What do you think happens next? Let us know in the comments section below.