UFC Heavyweight Tomโ Aspinall Facesโค Potential Double Eye Surgery After Devastating Injury
London, UK – December 4, 2025 โข-โ UFC heavyweight contender Tom Aspinall is contemplating surgery on both eyes after beingโ diagnosed with bilateralโค Brown’s โsyndrome following a โฃcontroversial eye poke during his recent bout againstโ Cyril gane. The injury has left Aspinall with persistent โขdoubleโ vision, significantly impacting his daily life and โtraining, and โcastingโค doubt โonโ his immediate return to the Octagon.
Aspinall revealed he wasโ diagnosed with Brown’s syndrome, aโ condition limiting eye movement, and experiencing ongoing double vision. He personally consulted with ophthalmologist Dr. Al-Hiti, who delivered a pessimistic prognosis. According to Aspinall,Dr. Al-Hiti stated,โค “There is still a long way to go. it is better not โฃto fight โuntil the double vision disappears. Excessive training can worsen theโ condition, and normal performance cannot be achieved with overlapping vision. The possibility of surgery on โboth eyes is also being โdiscussed.”
The injury occurred during the fight with Gane, where Aspinall stopped the contest, telling the referee, “I can’t see.” This decision sparked criticismโ from some fans and fellow fighters,โฃ but Dr. Al-Hiti defended aspinall, โคstating, “The decision to stop the game in those โcircumstances was veryโ right. Itโ was a courageous decision that prevented further โฃdamage.”
Aspinall himself has been resolute about his return, emphasizing on โขhis YouTubeโฃ channel, “I will onlyโ return to the Octagon whenโฃ I am 100% recovered. I will not fight again until my eye is entirely fine.”
Reports from the British BBC โคconfirm the severity of the injury, stating โAspinall was diagnosed with “traumatic bilateralโฃ Brown syndrome after being stabbed in both eyesโ at the same time during a match” and isโ currently unable to resume MMA training due to the continued double vision.
Aspinall’s father recently told โขSky Sports that his son’s recovery is progressing slowerโ than hoped. “I can barely see in my right eye and it only appears gray. โmyโค left eye vision has also recovered only about half,” he revealed.
The incident has also promptedโ calls โfor stricter โขregulations within the UFC. Veteran referee โฃHerb Dean has argued for “a stricter point deduction rule โขfor eye-poking fouls.” Multiple British media outlets report the UFC is considering improvements to glove structure andโ strengthening regulations, acknowledging the risk posed by the exposed finger designโฃ of current UFC gloves.
Despite the challenges, Aspinall remains determined to face Gane again once fully recovered.โ “Iโ want to end this problem, but I can’t fight if my eyes don’t come back,” he stated,โ makingโข hisโ eyesight the sole condition โขfor his return. The UFC plans to monitor Aspinall’s recovery and adjust futureโ match schedules accordingly.
