Tom Aspinall Vacates UFC Title After Infections, Surgeries and 'Complications with My Eye'

Tom Aspinall announced Monday he vacated the UFC heavyweight title due to "ongoing complications with my eyes."

"I had previously agreed to a fight date and was back sparring, feeling great and ready to compete when an accident caused further damage to my right eye," he said. "This means more time away from the sport, and right now, the timing of my return is unclear."

Aspinall said that uncertainty left him with no other choice.

"I've now made the decision to vacate the heavyweight title," he said. "I've asked the UFC to allow me to make this statement because I don't want to hold the heavyweight division up. I know what it's like to have your career put on hold and I want the other fighters to have the opportunity to compete for the title."

Aspinall fought Ciryl Gane to a no contest at UFC 321 last October. The fight ended in the first round after Gane inadvertently poked him in the eye.

Uncrowned's Petesy Carroll reported in February that Aspinall was continuing to have trouble with his vision. He "can't track moving targets" and "struggles to do the most basic drills."

The 33-year-old underwent double eye surgery that month. By June, he said he was fully training again and hopeful of staging a rematch with Gane. Further setbacks forced him to alter those plans.

The status of the heavyweight belt is now up in the air. Gane beat Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 in June to become the interim champion.

The UFC may simply remove the interim tag and make Gane the undisputed champion in the wake of Monday's news.

Aspinall is 15-3 as a pro and won eight of his first nine fights with the UFC prior to suffering his eye injuries. He insisted in his announcement he's not retiring altogether.

"Stepping away from the title is not stepping away from the sport or the dream," he said. "I'll continue doing everything I can to get healthy, get cleared and get back to competing as soon as possible."