![\"\u25b2\"](\"https:\/\/cdn-union.tenbizt.com\/contents\/crawler-dev\/image\/2026\/05\/CP-2022-0020\/image-20fa2114-aed1-44b9-a19e-33ea161cdc9c.jpeg\")
\u25b2 Tom Aspinall in pain after being poked in the eye by Ciryl Gane\u2019s outstretched finger. <\/p>\nTranslation result### \u25b2 Tom Aspinall in pain after being poked in the eye by Ciryl Gane\u2019s outstretched finger. <\/p>\n
[SPOTV News=Reporter Kim Geon-il] UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall looks set to delay his return to the Octagon again after suffering serious injuries to both eyes. Aspinall continues to question whether his opponent, Ciryl Gane, acted intentionally.<\/p>\n
Aspinall has not fought since his first title defense in October of last year.<\/p>\n
Facing France\u2019s Ciryl Gane, Aspinall could not continue after a \u201cdouble eye poke\u201d near the end of the opening round, and the bout was ruled a no contest. Because Gane had largely controlled the fight before it was stopped, some observers wondered whether Aspinall\u2019s injuries were being overstated.<\/p>\n
Aspinall, who reported damage to both eyes, underwent surgery in February. Earlier this month he seemed close to returning to full training, but recent tests have altered that timeline.<\/p>\n
Aspinall detailed his current condition on the Fight Your Corner podcast.<\/p>\n
He said he recently had scans and expected to be cleared to spar and compete right away, but the medical team told him he needs about two more months.<\/p>\n
\u201cEye tissue can take longer to heal,\u201d he said, adding that he\u2019ll return the moment he\u2019s fully recovered.<\/p>\n
At best, a comeback late this year is the realistic scenario. His likely opponent would be the winner of next month\u2019s interim heavyweight title fight between Gane and Alex Pereira.<\/p>\n
Gane drew criticism in last year\u2019s fight for repeatedly attacking with his fingers extended. He has strongly denied any intentional eye-poking.<\/p>\n
Still, Aspinall hasn\u2019t dropped his suspicions.<\/p>\n
![\"\u25b2\"](\"https:\/\/cdn-union.tenbizt.com\/contents\/crawler-dev\/image\/2026\/05\/CP-2022-0020\/image-2f071352-39a4-4421-9cfb-25aaf6b3c321.jpeg\")
\u25b2 UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall undergoing medical checks \u24d2 Tom Aspinall YouTube<\/p>\n
In interviews with local outlets, Aspinall said, \u201cI don\u2019t think Gane is a bad person,\u201d but added, \u201cI can\u2019t understand how getting my eyes poked three times in four minutes could be an accident.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI know exactly what I\u2019m doing when I fight,\u201d he said. \u201cAccidents rarely happen in a match. The same action being repeated makes it hard to believe it wasn\u2019t deliberate.\u201d<\/p>\n
He stressed he\u2019s not trying to demonize Gane, but reiterated that he can\u2019t see how the incidents could be mere mistakes from a physical standpoint.<\/p>\n
At 32, Aspinall is regarded as one of the most dangerous finishers in the UFC heavyweight division. But an unexpected injury just after claiming the title has put him through the biggest crisis of his career to date.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
UFC champion Tom Aspinall delays return due to eye injury, questioning Cyril Gane’s intentions, aiming for a comeback by year’s end.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/cdn-union.tenbizt.com\/contents\/crawler-dev\/thumbnail\/2026\/05\/CP-2022-0020\/thumb-d218d6f1-7b6e-4fcf-b0ba-d574a9a4a54b.jpg","footnotes":""},"categories":[278095],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-261726","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sports"],"yoast_head":"\n