Tom Aspinall's Return Hinges on Eye Tests, Says Eddie Hearn

Tom Aspinall's comeback isn't a question of will — it's a question of eyeballs. The UFC heavyweight champion has been shelved since October's title fight with Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 left him with an eye injury serious enough that his return now rides on a commission sign-off, not just his own readiness. His business manager Eddie Hearn told Bloody Elbow that Aspinall faces "additional testing" before anyone lets him back in the cage.

Hearn was blunt about the stakes: if an athletic commission won't clear a fighter, that tells you plenty about how bad the damage was. He stopped short of saying that's exactly where Aspinall stands, but he framed the medical hurdle as the only thing separating the champ from a return. Aspinall, per Hearn, is motivated and already training — there's just no date on the calendar yet.

Squashing the Exit Rumors

The extended layoff bred noise. Aspinall recently had to publicly bat down chatter that he wanted out of his UFC deal, and Hearn shut it down flatly: the champion is under contract, full stop. The speculation, Hearn suggested, sprang mostly from Aspinall's prolonged absence rather than any real friction — though the relationship with the promotion has clearly had its bumpy stretches.

As for where he lands next, the rumor mill has pointed at a Gane rematch headlining UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden in November. Hearn wouldn't confirm it, repeating only that Aspinall wants back as soon as he's medically able. Gane, ranked #1 at heavyweight and sitting at 14-2 (7 KO, 3 SUB), makes for the obvious dance partner given how the first meeting ended.

The Money Angle

Hearn also let slip just how comfortable his client's become. He said Aspinall turned down a six-figure deal that required almost no effort — the kind of offer most fighters snap up without blinking. Between YouTube, podcasts and his social footprint, the champ is doing fine financially, which is precisely why Hearn's takeaway landed with a laugh: they've spoiled him.

The point beneath the joke is that Aspinall doesn't need to fight for the check. He wants to fight because he's a fighter, and Hearn admitted the layoff has been genuinely frustrating for him. When the tests come back clean, the heavyweight picture snaps back into focus — and a stacked November card in New York suddenly looks a lot more interesting.