Gable Steveson reacts to Tom Aspinall relinquishing UFC title

In light of Tom Aspinall vacating his UFC title, Gable Steveson has a mixed reaction to the news.

After almost a year away from the octagon, Aspinall has finally relinquished his UFC gold. The Brit is still suffering from the aftermath of an illegal eye poke that ended his UFC 321 title defense prematurely; undergoing several successful surgeries. Now with no undisputed champion in place, the division can move forward. Vocal in their pursuit of a title opportunity, some heavyweights have spoken out on social media about the possibility of fighting for the abandoned throne.

Josh Hokit has been the loudest , claiming that he deserves a shot and has called out interim champion Ciryl Gane to accompany him in the cage. While many believe Hokit deserves his shot, one man who is confident he'll find himself in the title picture soon is Gable Steveson .

But instead of kicking Tom Aspinall while he's down, Steveson offered some words of encouragement for the former titleholder.

"I feel for Tom," Steveson said. "I hope the recovery is going well, and as he posted, it seems like it's really not. So, prayers to him and his family, and make sure he can get back on his feet in the best way possible."

Steveson also knows Tom Aspinall's absence leaves a gaping hole in the weight class. The Olympian is ready to capitalize on the void, believing he is one step closer to UFC gold due to Aspinall's injury.

"I think this is a great opportunity for a lot of young guys like myself, and a few others that are in the heavyweight division to kind of sneak our way in and work hard and get to where we need to go, and in a faster transition," Steveson added.

"So, sorry to him for these complications, but I feel like it's a good thing for us."