{
  "id": 5224904,
  "title": "Tom Aspinall’s UFC return hits medical roadblock due to eye injury",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/03/tom-aspinalls-ufc-return-hits-medical-roadblock-due-to-eye-injury",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-03T02:09:42.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/tom-aspinall-ufc-return-hits-020942370.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Tom Aspinall, the UFC heavyweight titleholder, will have to postpone his return to the Octagon. Eddie Hearn, a representative of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, has stated that Aspinall is not yet medically cleared to compete following an eye injury sustained in his last bout against Ciryl Gane. Hearn expressed that Aspinall's return is contingent upon a green light from the regulatory commissions, highlighting the severity of Aspinall's injury. Despite the setback, Aspinall remains motivated to return to the sport as soon as he is deemed fit by the medical authorities. Hearn emphasized that Aspinall's eagerness to return is not a matter of willpower, but rather driven by the need to heal properly. Aspinall, who entered the UFC heavyweight championship against Gane last October, faced a no-contest finish due to a double eye poke from Gane. Following the incident, Aspinall had a dispute with the UFC, alleging that Dana White downplayed the severity of his eye injury. Since then, Aspinall has undergone multiple eye surgeries and claims his recovery is progressing well.",
  "summary": "Tom Aspinall’s Octagon return will have to wait.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}