Unverified rumors that Tom Aspinall might leave the UFC if the market-leading MMA firm strip him of the heavyweight championship are swirling on social media.
The 32-year-old, a 19-fight veteran with 15 wins (12 KOs and 3 Subs) against three defeats, hasn’t fought for four months since an eye gouge from Ciryl Gane compromised the Brit’s vision, and ended the fight with a No Contest verdict given. The fighter complained at the time that he couldn’t see, and he had surgery this week to help restore his vision to an appropriate level for combat.
But a former MMA fighter, now podcaster, said in one video that Aspinall’s time as champ, and in the UFC, might be over. Various other accounts amplified the speculation, too, even though, at the time of publication, there has been no official confirmation from Aspinall, or the UFC.
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UFC Reportedly Asked Aspinall to Vacate The Title, Ex-Fighter Said
Josh Thomson, a former MMA fighter who competed in UFC, PRIDE, and Strikeforce, among other organizations as a lightweight fighter, revealed all in a video posted Thursday.
“Reports are out that UFC asked Tom Aspinall to vacate the title until he was ready to [fight] and he said he’d be willing, as long as they released him.”
“That opens a door so he can go ahead and box. It’s a weird situation as the heavyweight division is a total s***-show.”
He added that, because of the Jon Jones situation, the UFC cutting Jailton Almeida even though he was a ranked fighter, and now this rumor with Aspinall, “we have a mess.”
He said: “We have a disaster on our hands. Heavyweights … are the worst they’ve ever been.”
While nothing is official, it comes at a time when Aspinall is working on his recovery.
He posted graphic photos of his eyes following the surgery, and prominent MMA reporter and presenter Ariel Helwani even said everyone owes the fighter “a fat apology.”
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