After more than a month of silence following the controversial ending of his first heavyweight title defense, UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has finally broken his silence and the medical report he released is far more serious than many skeptics expected.
Aspinall posted detailed medical documents Sunday outlining the extent of the damage he suffered from the double eye poke delivered by Ciryl Gane during their UFC 321 main event on Oct. 25 in Abu Dhabi. The bout was ruled a no contest after Aspinall indicated he could not see. Now we know why.
Aspinall Diagnosed With “Bilateral Traumatic Brown’s Syndrome”
The medical paperwork Aspinall shared confirms he has been diagnosed with bilateral traumatic Brown’s syndrome an extremely rare condition involving both eyes and typically seen only in severe orbital trauma cases.
According to the official report, Aspinall is experiencing:
Persistent double vision in multiple gaze positions
Blurred vision and extreme light sensitivity
Major restriction of upward eye movement when the eye is turned inward
Reduced visual acuity in both eyes
Severe visual field depression on Humphrey tests
Doctors noted significant disruption to the superior oblique tendon trochlear complex, the structure that stabilizes and controls specific eye movements.
Imaging Results Complicate the Picture
Despite the alarming symptoms, imaging has been inconclusive:
CT scan: Raised concerns about a medial orbital wall abnormality
MRI: Showed no definitive structural damage to explain the extent of Aspinall’s motility issues
Intraocular pressure tests: Revealed no obvious source for the dysfunction
In short: Aspinall’s symptoms are serious, measurable, and debilitating but the exact cause has not been fully pinpointed.
Not Medically Cleared; Ongoing Evaluation Continues
Aspinall remains medically unfit to compete, with specialists continuing to monitor the unique and complicated condition.
The heavyweight champion stated he will address the situation further in a video posted to his YouTube channel Sunday night.
Online Critics Look Foolish Now
For weeks, a segment of the MMA fanbase accused Aspinall of exaggerating the eye poke to avoid continuing the fight. Some even claimed he quit intentionally in his first defense after being promoted to undisputed champion following Jon Jones’ retirement.
The medical diagnosis one of the rarest and most debilitating eye injuries ever sustained inside the UFC octagon puts those accusations to bed.
Aspinall had not fought since July 2024 before entering UFC 321, and the Gane bout was billed as his true coronation as heavyweight king.
Dana White Wants the Rematch If Aspinall Can Heal
UFC CEO Dana White has already stated publicly that an immediate rematch with Gane is next if Aspinall is medically cleared.
With the extent of this injury, that timeline is now very much in question.
The MMA world waits for Aspinall’s recovery and his impending public statement as the heavyweight division hits pause.
Tom Aspinall Releases Medical Diagnosis After UFC 321 Eye Injury
