\n<\/p>\n
\tABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – OCTOBER 25: Tom Aspinall of England reacts after suffering an eye poke against Ciryl Gane of France in the UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 321 event at Etihad Arena on October 25, 2025 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Chris Unger\/Zuffa LLC)\t<\/p>\n
Tom Aspinall is coming back to defend his UFC heavyweight title \u2026 eventually.<\/p>\n
The 33-year-old Brit has not competed since his \u201cNo Contest\u201d opposite Ciryl Gane atop the UFC 321 fight card last fall in Abu Dhabi, a championship headliner that was called off by way of disgusting fingernails. Aspinall had surgery to repair the damage, but still needs \u201cadditional testing\u201d before doctors will clear him to compete.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s according to his new manager and longtime boxing promoter, Eddie Hearn.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s motivated, and I can\u2019t give you an exact date yet, but what I can tell you is he wants to get back in there as soon as he is physically able to do so,\u201d Hearn told Bloody Elbow. \u201cIt all depends whether he\u2019ll be ready. He\u2019s training. I think he\u2019s gonna have to go through some additional testing to make sure he\u2019s good to return, but he wants to fight.\u201d<\/p>\n
That depends on who you ask.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s under contract,\u201d Hearn said. \u201cThe only thing that we have to look at is when Tom Aspinall will be ready to return. And that\u2019s not when he will be ready to return from a mindset perspective; that\u2019s from a commission perspective in terms of his injuries. And that shows you what he has been through, because if the commission won\u2019t let him fight, you know how serious the injuries were.\u201d<\/p>\n
Gane went on to win the interim crown by stopping Alex Pereira at UFC White House.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe wants to fight,\u201d Hearn said. \u201cHe\u2019s a fighter. So it\u2019s been very frustrating for him, but he\u2019ll be back.\u201d<\/p>\n