UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has shared a gruesome photo of his post-surgery eyes, revealing the extent of the damage from a double eye poke suffered in his fight against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321. The 32-year-old retained his heavyweight strap against Gane on October 25, but has since been dealing with significant vision issues, leaving his title plans on indefinite hold. Earlier in the week, his medical team at Optegra in the UK posted about his operation, expressing pride in supporting the MMA fighter and champion. Aspinall has won eight of his 10 UFC bouts, and the only two times he hasn’t had his hand raised have come down to freak injuries. The first was a devastating knee injury just 15 seconds into his 2022 showdown with Curtis Blaydes. The second came after he rebounded with a 60-second knockout of Blaydes, only to suffer eye pokes against Gane. Aspinall has vowed revenge on Gane, who he believes was cheating throughout the fight. However, he received little sympathy from former champion Jon Jones, who stated that he would have been unable to continue fighting even with one eye. The incident has sparked debate over the handling of illegal moves in MMA, and Aspinall has criticized UFC boss Dana White’s comments following the incident. The controversy has invited discussion and debate among MMA fans, with many questioning the handling of the situation and the potential consequences for Aspinall’s health and career.
