The UFC’s heavyweight division was meant to be the most terrifying in the promotion. Instead, it feels paused. With injuries, retirements, and speculations circulating on social media, the so-called “baddest man on the planet” crown has rarely felt more questionable. And since Tom Aspinall has been sidelined due to the double eye surgery he underwent recently, even the championship picture feels blurry.

In the middle of that chaos, Sean O’Malley has decided to weigh in on the debacle facing the division—not as a heavyweight or a rival, but as someone who understands how quickly momentum shifts in the UFC. While claims about vacating titles and potential releases went viral online, ‘Suga’ provided some much-needed advice to the current heavyweight champion.

Sean O’Malley shares a blunt warning for Tom Aspinall’s UFC future

“Uh, it’s so weird. Heavyweight division, heavyweight boxing, baddest man on the planet, just the scariest division known to man, and yeah, it’s been weird the last few years,” Sean O’Malley opined on his BroMalley Show podcast. “The heavyweight division’s just kinda been not super exciting, not super interesting.

“You got Tom Aspinall. Jon Jones is pretty much done. DC retired. DC was fun. The division’s just not that fun… We’re going through a little lull, but what goes down will bounce off the floor like a trampoline and go back up.”

But when the conversation turned to reigning heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall potentially being forced to vacate the belt or, worse, being released by the biggest MMA promotion in the world for being unable to compete, the former bantamweight champion’s tone got sombre.

“It sucks, man. Coz he’s a little bit older too,” he added. “It’s not like he’s got a ton more years of dealing with this. You gotta get back to sparring. Do you still have the same mentality? That’s tough. They want him to vacate the belt, which I get. He said that if they release him. God!

“You don’t want to get on the UFC’s bad side… I don’t mean it sounds like they’re going through with it, but I don’t know, man.”

While O’Malley clarified he didn’t think Aspinall was in trouble just yet, the comment served as a clear reminder of the political dangers of being sidelined, an indirect warning to the heavyweight champion about navigating his relationship with the promotion during his recovery.

The panic began when former Strikeforce champion and UFC veteran Josh Thomson shared what he had heard about Aspinall in a video on X.

“The UFC asked Tom Aspinall to vacate the title until he was ready to go,” Thompson said. “He said he’ll be ready to vacate the title as long as they release him. Now that opens the door so he can go ahead and box. This is a really weird situation. The heavyweight division is just a total s— show right now.”

However, there is no proof that Tom Aspinall has been officially asked by the UFC to vacate his heavyweight title or is on his way to being released.

Meanwhile, the Briton has shared with his fans time, and again, his focus has consistently been on healing rather than negotiating his next fight. However, in a division already stuck between past legends and uncertain futures, even such rumors can feel like tremors. But what else can the UFC do in such a situation?

How can the UFC still save the heavyweight division?

If Tom Aspinall is focused on his recovery, the pressure transfers to the UFC. The belt cannot sit in limbo indefinitely, but rushing a solution could make matters worse. With no set timeline for the champion’s comeback and no confirmed main event for the White House card, the promotion has limited options.

The first option is to be patient, even if it makes one uncomfortable. Tom Aspinall has been clear about his priorities so far.

“I’m not even thinking about fighting at the minute,” the heavyweight champion said. “All I’m thinking about is getting my health right, so thinking about a return date is pointless until that happens.”

That does not sound like a man negotiating leverage. It sounds like a champion who is protecting his eyesight. So does that mean the UFC could introduce an interim title now? Not exactly.

That risk simply exacerbates the confusion. The UFC can move forward with contenders, but none currently look like an unstoppable force, as we have seen in the past. So, should the UFC just let Tom Aspinall recover completely and return when the story writes itself? After all, heavyweight history has often been chaotic, but sometimes restraint is the better strategy.

But there is one more solution that may sound a bit far-fetched, considering how against Dana White has been on the idea. And it is finding an obvious lever in legacy. A Jon Jones comeback, even if temporary, would immediately stabilize headlines.

A superfight featuring a name like Alex Pereira would buy time and attention, even if it failed to tackle the long-term puzzle. Heavyweight has always thrived on aura more than activity. One massive fight may change the mood of an entire division. However, it seems like Dana White still can’t trust Jon Jones, especially after he confirmed his medical condition on camera.

So, for now, the division sits in suspense rather than collapse. The rumors were louder than the truth. The injury is real. And the next move—whether it’s patience, a superfight, or a temporary workaround—will determine whether this lull is a reset or a long-term drift.