The UFC's heavyweight title is back up for grabs.
Reigning champion Tom Aspinall announced on Monday that he's decided to vacate the belt while continuing to recover from a lingering eye injury.
The Englishman first earned the heavyweight title in 2023 with a first-round TKO of Sergei Pavlovich and then defended it with another Round 1 finish against Curtis Blaydes during his championship reign.
“I’ve now made the decision to vacate the heavyweight title," Aspinall said through a statement on social media. "I’ve asked the UFC to allow me to make this statement because I don’t want to hold the heavyweight division up. I know what it’s like to have your career put on hold and I want the other fighters to have the opportunity to compete for the title.”
Aspinall's second title defence was called a no-contest, however, after an eye-poke by Ciryl Gane rendered the champ unfit to continue. The incident occurred in October 2025 and Aspinall has not stepped in an octagon since. His record in the UFC sits at 8-1-1 — all wins by stoppage — since his debut back in 2020.
The 33-year-old said in his statement that due to "ongoing complications," he cannot be medically cleared to fight as of yet. Aspinall has undergone multiple surgeries to try to recover from the eye injury — even getting so far as planning out his next bout — but has faced continued setbacks along the way.
"I had previously agreed to a fight date and was back sparring, feeling great and ready to compete when an accident caused further damage to my right eye," Aspinall explained. "This means more time away from the sport, and right now, the timing of my return is unclear."
Despite the prolonged adversity, Aspinall is confident he'll return to fight for the belt at some point.
"I’m absolutely gutted. I’ve chased this dream since I was 10 years old. I’m not done," he added. "Stepping away from the title is not stepping away from the sport or the dream. I’ll continue doing everything I can to get healthy, get cleared and get back to competing as soon as possible. ... I’ll be back as soon as I’m medically able to be."
The UFC has yet to announce plans for who will fight for the now-vacant heavyweight title next. Gane is the No. 1-ranked contender in the division, with Alexander Volkov right behind in second place.
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