Dubai, London, Las Vegas—none of it matters if the champion can’t see clearly. And that is where the tension lies. Months after a title contest ended in chaos, the talk about Tom Aspinall hasn’t stopped. It’s only getting louder.

What should have been a simple rematch with Ciryl Gane has devolved into something totally different: speculation, interim-title rumors, and questions about whether the heavyweight champion really wanted to fight that night. Fans are not the only ones who have expressed uncertainty. It was fueled in part by the UFC’s own boss, a move that a UFC legend has now questioned.

Brendan Schaub defends Aspinall amid growing skepticism

“Please tell me people still don’t think the baddest man on the planet is still faking his eye injuries?” Brendan Schaub wrote on X before doubling down in a video response.

“You know how dumb you have to be?” Schaub went straight at the doubters. “Talking about the guy who grew up in a jiu-jitsu dojo, who’s dedicated his entire life… he would be faking all this for what? Because it’s Ciryl Gane? No one’s scared of Ciryl Gane. It’s a great matchup for Tom.”

He wasn’t just defending pride. He described the physical toll, listing the fact that the Briton is still dealing with 18 eye exams and counting, three different prescription glasses, double eye surgery, 32 eye drops per day, balance loss from vertigo, blurry vision, a consistent black spot, and double vision that makes him feel sick.

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As a result, he can’t drive, struggles to use his phone, or even play with his kids. With an injury so severe, one can expect the company and fans to show some empathy towards the reigning heavyweight champion. However, several fans, and even head honcho Dana White, decided to sing a different tune instead.

During the UFC 321 post-event press conference, Dana White publicly questioned if Tom Aspinall took the easy way out, given the punishment he already received in round 1. Coming from the CEO of the promotion, that is a big speculation to make, and one that ticked off Brendan Schaub.

“What makes Dana great is he shoots from the hip,” Schaub said. “But right after the fight, when he says Tom didn’t want to continue, that gives energy to the trolls. It ignites the fire in Tom.”

The initial comment that Tom Aspinall “didn’t want to continue” stayed longer than the no-contest itself. And now, although Optegra Eye Hospital confirms that the champion is still recovering from double eye surgery, the division remains in limbo.

There are talks of interim belts, new matchups, and moving forward without Tom Aspinall. But if Schaub is right, the real story isn’t about hesitation—it’s about healing. And until Aspinall’s vision is restored to fighting fitness, the heavyweight picture stays as hazy as the champion’s eyesight.

Tom Aspinall shows the aftermath of eye surgery

If there was any doubt as to how terrible the injury was, Tom Aspinall responded without saying much at all. He posted a photo the day after having surgery on both eyes. Bloodshot. Swollen, raw. It didn’t look like a fighter dodging smoke. It looked like someone who had recently gone through it.

“One day post surgery,” Tom Aspinall posted on his Instagram story, adding a laughing emoji to brighten the mood. The humor looked to be intentional. Spooky music. Halloween-style GIFs. A champion attempting to keep things normal while his vision practically resets.

But underneath the jokes was the reality that this wasn’t a quick injection and back to sparring. It was double eye surgery. “Following his operation on both eyes, we continue the journey to get Tom’s vision back to fighting fitness,” Optegra Eye Hospital later confirmed. “The road is not over.”

That phrase, “fighting fitness,” conveys everything. Not every day of life or basic function. Elite combat readiness. Until that box is checked, the rematch with Ciryl Gane is just theoretical. The belt may be in limbo, but Tom Aspinall’s focus appears to be singular: see clearly first, then fight.