The British heavyweight has been unable to return to the Octagon since his title defence against Ciryl Gane in October 2025 ended without a result after an accidental eye poke.
Aspinall, 33, eventually decided to give up the belt rather than leave the heavyweight division waiting indefinitely for his return. He said he wanted other contenders to have the opportunity to fight for the vacant championship.
The Manchester fighter became undisputed champion after Jon Jones retired, but has not been able to make a successful defence of the title.
His struggles have been linked to Brown’s syndrome, a rare condition affecting eye movement that Aspinall previously revealed he had been diagnosed with in both eyes.
Despite his absence, a potential rematch with Gane had appeared possible. Gane had called for another meeting after securing a victory over Alex Pereira to claim the interim heavyweight title at the White House in June.
In the full message in shared on Instagram, Aspinall indicated that he has had multiple surgeries, was open to the fight and had returned to training, but another accident damaged his right eye and forced him to put his comeback plans on hold.
“Anything you read in the media is simply noise. People are creating their own narratives. This is the truth:
Ongoing complications with my eyes mean I cannot get medically cleared to fight right now.
I’ve had multiple surgeries, accidents and infections, and done everything possible to get back to competing.
I had previously agreed to a fight date and was back sparring, feeling great and ready to compete when an accident caused further damage to my right eye. This means more time away from the sport, and right now, the timing of my return is unclear.
I know there have been questions about why I’ve been quiet. I’ve always followed the advice of the UFC and focused on my recovery while we’ve tried to make this happen.
I’ve now made the decision to vacate the heavyweight title. 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.
The UFC and Hunter have been informed every step of the way and have seen the tests, procedures and medical information relating to my eyes. 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.
I’m absolutely gutted. I’ve chased this dream since I was 10 years old.
I’m not done.
Stepping away from the title is not stepping away from the sport or the dream. I’ll continue doing everything I can to get healthy, get cleared and get back to competing as soon as possible.
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. 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.”
