UFC 321 ended unexpectedly as Tom Aspinall asserted that his vision was compromised. And surely there were evident reasons for making that call, as constant eye pokes from Ciryl Gane affected his sight. But months later, Aspinall provided an update on his eyes, and it still appears to be in poor condition.
The immediate treatment at UFC 321 did provide Aspinall with some temporary relief, but it wasn’t enough. As such, he recently had to undergo surgery on both of his eyes. “Following his operation on both eyes, we continue the journey to get Tom’s vision back to fighting fitness,” wrote Optegra Eye Health Care in an Instagram post. Hours later, the UFC heavyweight champion has provided a glimpse of his eyes post-operation.
Tom Aspinall first look post-surgery
Since suffering eye injuries at UFC 321 last October, Tom Aspinall has been in close contact with many ophthalmologists. After undergoing a successful surgery on both of his eyes, the Brit seemed quite happy as he posted pictures of himself. “1 day post surgery 🤣🧟,” wrote Aspinall with a photo on his Instagram Story.
Tom Aspinall shows his eyes one day after surgery 👁️😬
(Via @AspinallMMA ) pic.twitter.com/KDUjNnvULB
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) February 11, 2026
While the eye condition still appears a bit damaged, the surgery is one of the first steps towards his recovery. Now, as Aspinall undergoes proper rehabilitation, the UFC heavyweight division is buzzing with calls for a potential interim title fight. On that front, no. 5-ranked heavyweight Waldo Cortes-Acosta is one of the fighters who wants that to happen.
“If I don’t get (UFC) Mexico, I want to fight Volkov or Ciryl Gane. They’re waiting. I assume Tom Aspinall is not fighting anytime soon, so why not put an interim title in place? Whoever wins fights the champion should they make the rematch between Ciryl Gane and Tom Aspinall. That would be good,” said Cortes-Acosta in an interview with Hablemos MMA.
The call for an interim heavyweight title fight sounds sensible. And that comes after considering that there isn’t a fixed recovery time for Aspinall yet. Amid that, the division cannot be put on hold, especially as fighters like Cortes-Acosta are rising in the ranks. On that note, should the Brit rush his comeback?
UFC legend Michael Bisping advises Tom Aspinall
Michael Bisping is one of the fighters who is very well aware of the detrimental effects of an eye injury. During his fight against Vitor Belfort in 2013, ‘The Count’ damaged his right eye after taking a head kick from Belfort. And to this day, Bisping is functionally blind in his right eye. Considering his experience with an eye injury, Bisping has two words of advice for Aspinall.
“The one thing you can’t do with an eye is rush back,” Bisping said on his YouTube channel. “That is the one big lesson that I learned, because I did that. I rushed back too soon. I rushed back to sparring. I rushed back to competition, and I never saw out of that eye again. Tom has got to take his time.”
Now, while the heavyweight contenders are calling out for an interim title fight, Aspinall surely has some big decisions to make. But everything will ultimately depend upon his speed of recovery.
On that note, do you think the UFC will be keen on an interim heavyweight title fighter while Aspinall remains sidelined? Let us know in the comments below!