Aspinall declares himself fit and eyes UFC Paris return after eye-injury no contest

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has declared himself fit and ready to compete, with the Englishman targeting a return at UFC Paris on 5 September following months on the sidelines with an eye injury.

Aspinall (15-3) has been out of action since his bout with Ciryl Gane (14-2) at UFC 321 last October ended in a no contest after Gane simultaneously poked him in both eyes in the first round. The champion has now informed the UFC that he is available and is pushing for a spot on the Paris card.

“We’ve let the UFC know that we’re ready to go and we’re just waiting for dates,” Aspinall said on his YouTube channel. “We’ve just literally told them we can do it in Paris. We told them we can do it wherever they want. So, we’re just waiting for them to let us know. It’s down to the UFC.”

The path back to the Octagon has not been entirely straightforward for Aspinall. Beyond the physical recovery, his relationship with the promotion became strained in the aftermath of UFC 321, with the champion publicly unhappy about how events unfolded and with comments made by UFC president Dana White. Aspinall subsequently brought in boxing promoter Eddie Hearn as an advisor, a move that further complicated his standing with the organisation.

On the other side of a potential rematch, Gane reclaimed the interim heavyweight title at UFC Freedom 250 by defeating Alex Pereira, setting the stage for a second meeting with Aspinall. Whether that fight lands in Paris or at a later date now rests with the UFC’s scheduling decisions.