Tom Aspinall’s eye injury saga just got another loud twist, only this time the UFC heavyweight champion jumped in before the rumor mill could start throwing spinning backfists in every direction.
Aspinall posted a blunt statement on X Wednesday after fresh chatter suggested he wanted out of the UFC. His message was simple enough for the whole heavyweight division to understand. He wrote, “I’M NOT LEAVING THE UFC.” He also pushed back on claims being attributed to him from other people and said he is still talking with the promotion every day.
Aspinall posted the statement below:
— Tom Aspinall (@AspinallMMA) August 26, 2026
“I’M NOT LEAVING THE UFC. I’VE NEVER SAID I HAVE IN ANY INTERVIEW AND ANY WORDS THAT HAVE BEEN TAKEN FROM OTHERS TODAY ARE SIMPLY NOT TRUE.
“WE ARE TALKING WITH THE UFC DAILY AND THEY WILL UPDATE YOU GUYS ALWAYS.”
Aspinall Tries To Calm The Heavyweight Mess
The timing matters because the top of the UFC heavyweight division has been stuck in mud since Aspinall’s October title defense against Ciryl Gane ended in a no contest after eye pokes left him unable to continue. Since then, Aspinall has dealt with multiple eye procedures, more questions about when he can fight, and a growing stack of outside noise around his contract and future.
That noise got louder after comments from his boxing coach Stipe Drvis circulated on Instagram Live. Aspinall’s post did not leave much room for mystery. He said he has never claimed in an interview that he is done with the UFC, then added that “WE ARE TALKING WITH THE UFC DAILY” and that updates would come from the promotion.
The awkward part for the UFC is that this division already has too many moving pieces. Dana White and Eddie Hearn have already traded shots over Aspinall’s UFC situation, and every month without a champion walking to the cage gives contenders and commentators more room to start yelling into the void.
If Aspinall is cleared to continue, the obvious fight remains a Gane rematch. Gane has been sitting in the title picture after stopping Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250, while Aspinall’s side has been stuck answering medical, contract, and matchmaking questions all at once. That is a rough way to run a heavyweight throne room, even by fight-game standards.
The statement does not give fans a date, opponent announcement, or clean answer on when Aspinall returns. It does do one important thing. It shuts down the idea that the champion is walking away from the UFC right now. And with other heavyweights already calling for the belt situation to be forced forward, that matters plenty.
