UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall’s manager Eddie Hearn provided the latest update on the champ’s return to the Octagon.
Aspinall has not fought since UFC 321 in October 2025, when he suffered an eye injury against Ciryl Gane in a fight that was ruled a No Contest.
The champ has had multiple eye surgeries since then, but is said to be back in training and hoping to get back into the cage before the end of the year.
However, his manager says there are still hurdles that need to be cleared before he can be officially booked again.
Eddie Hearn Provides Update on Tom Aspinall
Speaking to Bloody Elbow, Hearn provided the latest update on Aspinall’s UFC return.
“He’s under contract. The only thing that we have to look at is when Tom Aspinall will be ready to return. And that’s not when he will be ready to return from a mindset perspective; that’s from a commission perspective in terms of his injuries. And that shows you what he has been through, because if the commission won’t let him fight, you know how serious the injuries were. Not saying that’s the case, but that’s the position we need to get to in order for him to return to the ring,” Hearn said (via MMAFighting.com).
“He’s motivated, and I can’t 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.”
Could Tom Aspinall Return at UFC 334?
There have been rumors linking Aspinall to a return against interim champion Ciryl Gane in a UFC heavyweight title bout at UFC 334, which takes place on November 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
While Hearn said that’s a possibility, he says that the champ still needs to go through a battery of tests before the doctors clear him to fight again.
“It all depends whether he’ll be ready. He’s training. I think he’s gonna have to go through some additional testing to make sure he’s good to return, but he wants to fight,” Hearn said.
Tom Aspinall’s Manager Provides Update on UFC Return