For a fighter, there are few accusations more damaging than being called a quitter. For Tom Aspinall, that accusation came directly from his boss, Dana White, who publicly questioned his heart at UFC 321. While Aspinall denied that he quit against Cyril Gane, White labeled the result a “great showing, sh***  ending,” questioning whether the Briton could still continue after the foul.

At the same time, the heavyweight division has been stuck in neutral for several months due to Jon Jones supposedly avoiding Aspinall, the rumors of retirement that never cease, and the total freeze surrounding the title picture. White’s frustration isn’t coming out of nowhere; it feels like the division has been waiting for a green light that never comes.

Tom Aspinall responds to Dana White’s UFC 321 dig

Aspinall, who had been through a double eye-poke, stated that he was not going to risk any long-term injury just to silence people who had never been in a fight. His stance has made the UFC 321 scandal a full-fledged discussion about fighter safety, fouls, and the pressure to continue swinging no matter what.

In a new YouTube video, Aspinall finally broke his silence, explaining his decision to stop the fight. He spoke about what occurred and why he did not want to fight anymore. He also addressed Dana White’s post-fight reaction in the clip. White had claimed, “I mean, he (Gane) had Tom bloodied up, and Tom didn’t want to continue in the fight. So, who gives a…” This comment was a direct shot that instantly fired the narrative that Aspinall quit.

The champion was not willing to let that slide. He responded with a hard pushback, claiming, “I’ll tell you why I didn’t continue. Because I’m not a dummy. Like I’m not going to go out there and fight one of the best strikers in the world if I can’t see with double vision with any eye.”

Aspinall further explained, “This wasn’t a punch, a kick, or a scramble gone wrong. If you get double eye poked in both eyes, and you’ve got no vision because of a foul, why should I carry on?” The heavyweight was adamant that he would not be the next quick knockout on a highlight reel, “so some loser can look and say, ‘Oh yep, Tom just got knocked out.’”

“If it’s an illegal move, we have to fight through it. That’s what we do as fighters. But when it’s a foul, why am I going to put my health at risk when I can’t see at all?” he added.

While defending himself over the eye poke incident, he even pointed out that Gane has a history of fouls, groin kicks, eye pokes, and shots to the back of the head.  Going as far as compiling short clips to show viewers exactly what he meant.

This back-and-forth has now shifted the conversation away from blame and toward a bigger issue. What fighters owe the sport versus what they owe their long-term health.

Heavyweight uncertainty grows as Aspinall focuses on recovery

Aspinall’s update on his comeback didn’t resemble someone preparing for a prompt turnaround. On the contrary, it alluded to a longer absence. He acknowledged that surgery is still an option and doctors will decide in weeks, but the main worry is that he is not training at all.

As he stated, “I’m not doing anything MMA-wise at the moment. I’m just following the doctor’s orders right now.” For a heavyweight who typically remains active and ready to fight on a moment’s notice, that is a definite sign that fans might have to wait for a long time before they get to see him in action again.

Aspinall has consistently proven to be a fighter who goes the extra mile for the UFC. He has accepted fights with only two weeks’ notice. He has been available for fights at odd hours and was the backup for the heavyweight title fight between Jon Jones and Stipe Miocic. Despite Aspinall’s proven commitment to the UFC, his potential long-term absence adds another layer of uncertainty to the already chaotic heavyweight division.