Professional MMA fighter Tom Aspinall’s father and coach, Andy, disclosed that Tom is still experiencing vision loss in his right eye due to a severe injury sustained in a recent match. Tom was scheduled to defend his heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321. Gane dominated the first round with powerful jabs, but the fight came to a halt when he accidentally poked Tom in both eyes, prompting a temporary pause. Despite a five-minute recovery period, Tom informed officials that his vision was compromised, leading to the fight being declared a no contest.
Subsequently, Tom was immediately taken to the hospital for thorough examinations in Abu Dhabi before returning to the UK for further medical assessments. Recent updates on Tom’s condition were provided by his father, Aspinall Sr. In a video on Tom’s YouTube channel, it was revealed that his right eye remains completely blind, showing signs of improvement in the left eye but with blurred vision. Additional tests and a CT scan are scheduled to ensure the eye’s bone structure is intact.
Concerns were raised by Tom’s team regarding the handling of the eye-poking incident during the fight, questioning why the challenger was not disqualified. The upcoming UFC event features Steve Garcia versus David Onama in Las Vegas on Saturday, November 1. The preliminaries are set to commence at 8pm UK time, followed by the main card at 11pm UK time on Sunday. UK viewers can watch the action live on TNT Sports.
Overall, Tom Aspinall’s health remains a focal point of discussion following the unfortunate outcome of the UFC 321 match, underscoring the importance of fighter safety and fair play in professional MMA competitions.