The injury occurred late in the first round of Aspinall’s clash with France’s Ciryl Gane on 25 October in Abu Dhabi, when Gane inadvertently poked both of Aspinall’s eyes while throwing a punch. The champion immediately struggled with his vision, prompting referee Jason Herzog to stop the fight and rule it accidental, allowing Aspinall to retain his belt.
A medical report later shared by Aspinall on Instagram revealed a diagnosis of traumatic bilateral Brown’s syndrome, a rare condition that limits the eye’s ability to move upward—especially when looking inward. According to the report, the fighter continues to experience persistent double vision, reduced eye motility and function, as well as substantial visual field loss. His specialists have confirmed that he is “not yet medically cleared for combat activity.”
Further treatment is in progress, with doctors considering targeted periocular steroid injections or even surgery if his symptoms fail to improve. Speaking candidly on his YouTube channel, Aspinall acknowledged that surgery is a real possibility and confirmed he has stepped completely away from MMA training while following medical advice.
“We’ve got to see how it goes over the next few weeks,” he said. “I’m not in the gym at the moment. I’m just following the doctor’s orders and waiting to see what happens with the health.”
Aspinall also noted that he has not heard from Gane since the incident, although he remains eager to face him again once fully recovered. “I’m obviously very keen to get back and beat this guy up,” he joked, “but I’ve got to be 100% right. Whenever the eye’s good to go, that’s when I’ll do it.”
The incident has reignited conversation around eye pokes in MMA—one of the sport’s most common and dangerous fouls. Earlier in November, veteran referee Herb Dean indicated that officials would push for stricter enforcement, including more frequent point deductions, to deter careless hand positioning.
The issue has also put renewed scrutiny on UFC glove design. Although the promotion introduced redesigned gloves in June 2024 to reduce eye pokes, cuts and hand injuries, they reverted to the older model just five months later, a design largely unchanged since becoming standard in 1997.
As Aspinall awaits further medical assessment, the heavyweight division remains on hold. His health now takes precedence, and the timing of his return depends entirely on how quickly—and fully—his vision recovers.