'A historic tragedy' — Facing the threat of losing his sight, a disqualification loss, and even the risk of being stripped of the UFC championship title. How could this happen? "I really wanted to return..."

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

It is a tragedy. Tom Aspinall (33, UK), the UFC heavyweight champion who faced the threat of losing his sight due to an opponent's fatal eye-gouging foul, has voluntarily relinquished his championship belt after 11 months of battling illness.

The British media outlet 'The Independent' reported on the 15th (Korean time) that "Aspinall officially surrendered the UFC heavyweight title amid a cruel twist." The report added, "If Aspinall is the unluckiest champion in UFC history, Cyril Gane (France), who took over the title after knocking him down with a foul, will become the luckiest fighter in history."

In October last year at UFC 321 held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Aspinall suffered a series of illegal plays from challenger Gane. In fact, Gane repeatedly committed fatal eye-gouging fouls by inserting his fingers deep into Aspinall's eye sockets. As a result, the match was declared void after just one round, and Aspinall sustained serious injuries including optic nerve damage, double vision, and impaired eye movement.

Even his closest associates were furious. Aspinall's father revealed to British media 'Sky Sports' that "his son's right eye has been so damaged that he can only see gray," and that he is also suffering from Brown syndrome, a rare condition.

Although he underwent multiple surgeries in an attempt to return, he ultimately failed to receive approval to step back into the octagon. Just one day after Dana White, UFC president, hinted at discussing the stripping of Aspinall's title, Aspinall voluntarily gave up his belt.

In an official statement, Aspinall said, "I do not want to block the flow of the heavyweight division. Having experienced the pain of my career coming to a halt, I hope other fighters get the opportunity to challenge for the title." He added, "Stepping down from the title does not mean giving up on sports or my dreams. My journey is far from over."

He continued, "I shared all medical records and test results with UFC and Chief Business Officer Hunter Campbell to explore a return, but it proved impossible at this time." He expressed, "It is incredibly painful that I am still suffering from these aftereffects due to the foul that completely altered the direction of my career."

Aspinall's mixed martial arts career has been marked by continuous misfortune. In 2022, he suffered a severe knee ligament tear while on the verge of winning a title. Even after becoming interim champion, the then-regular champion Jon Jones avoided a matchup, dragging out the situation for over a year before retiring, leaving the octagon vacant. He eventually became the unified champion but faced a nightmare in his first defense when he was stabbed by Gane's fingers during a foul, spending 11 months on the operating table. Although he later showed strong will to return, he could not overcome the barrier of eye injuries.

In contrast, Gane, who pushed Aspinall to the brink, stood on the verge of becoming France's first-ever UFC heavyweight regular champion. Gane had previously faced intense criticism both internally and externally, including reports by British media 'TalkSport' revealing his attempt to recruit Phil De Fries, a KSW champion and Aspinall's closest training partner, before their match. Moreover, in June, while defeating Alex Pereira to become interim champion, he sparked controversy over illegal strikes, including blows to the back of the head.

While Tom Aspinall, the unluckiest champion in UFC history, tearfully relinquished his belt due to aftereffects from a fatal foul, fans and local media are growing increasingly angry at the absurd reality where Gane, who committed the serious foul, secured the regular championship belt without a fight.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.View Original