Tom Aspinall Details ‘Absolutely Horrendous’ Eye Surgeries After Ciryl Gane Eye Poke
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UFC heavyweight champion Aspinall reveals what it was like to be kept awake while surgeons operated on his eyes.
After Jon Jones announced his retirement, the interim champion Tom Aspinall was crowned heavyweight king last year.
He is arguably one of the toughest heavyweight fighters in the sport. However, even the toughest of fighters have limits.
Tom Aspinall Describes the Horrors of Eye Surgery
During his first title defense against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 in October 2025, the British star suffered eye gouging, leaving him with major visual field defects and double vision. He eventually had surgery and described it as so horrific that he would never want to go through it again.
On the latest episode of the Great Company Podcast, Aspinall confirmed he had three surgeries. And his account of the procedures is as raw as you could expect from a man who punches people for a living.
"They're coming at you with a scalpel or knife, and you're literally watching them slice into your eyeball. You're just lying there thinking, 'What is happening?' Honestly, it was horrendous. I never want to go through that again," Aspinall said.
In February 2026, the UFC champion underwent double eye surgery to repair muscle damage from bilateral traumatic Brown's syndrome.
He even claimed to have difficulty with normal day-to-day tasks such as playing with his children since he struggled to detect motion prior to surgery. To keep his eyes moist, Aspinall had to use 32 eye drops each day and battle with recurring black patches in his eyesight.
Check out the picture of Tom Aspinall’s eye he posted one day after the surgery.
Tom Aspinall: Post-Surgery and UFC Return
Despite the physical challenges, the British champion's recovery seems complete, as he was spotted training inside the gym without protective eyewear.
In June, he also revealed that he is back in full training for the Ciryl Gane rematch and is in negotiations with the UFC about making it happen.
Gane won the interim heavyweight title after defeating Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250, establishing himself as the next legitimate challenger for the ultimate gold.
Following his victory, the Frenchman teased a title unification against Aspinall in Paris in September, to which the latter agreed. Most likely, UFC 333 is the rumored spot.
However, the discussions have been verbal, and nothing has been officially confirmed. But one thing is certain: this rematch is inevitable now.
