Tom Aspinall continues to struggle with vision issues following an eye poke during his UFC 321 fight against Ciryl Gane, leading to surgery and a delayed return to training, while he seeks a rematch to prove himself.
Tom Aspinall’s still grappling with eye issues. Yep, it’s been a rough ride.
Back in October, he defended his title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321. Didn’t go as planned. Early in the fight, he took a nasty eye poke. No-contest. Ouch.
The MMA community? Not too kind. Some accused him of looking for an out. Others called him a quitter. Harsh, right? Aspinall, though, insists his vision’s still messed up. Shared an update on YouTube.
“By the time this is going out, I’ll probably have had surgery on one side already,” he mentioned. “Next surgery is coming mid-January. So, we’re working toward getting back. That’s the plan.”
Doctors diagnosed him with bilateral traumatic Brown’s syndrome. Sounds serious. It affects eye movement and can cause double vision. Not ideal for a fighter.
Recovery might take months. He’s eyeing (pun intended) a return next spring. But he’s got some unfinished business with Gane.
“The guy was cheating from the first second,” Aspinall said. “I’m very keen to get back and beat this guy up, but I’ve got to be 100 percent right.”
So, once his eyes are good to go, watch out!