Dana White Comments on Tom Aspinall Vacating UFC Title

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Dana White UFC Tom Aspinall
Dana White UFC Tom Aspinall Getty

UFC president Dana White commented on former UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall recently vacating his title.

Due to eye injuries, Aspinall was forced to vacate the UFC heavyweight title, which will now be given to interim champ Ciryl Gane, who was promoted to undisputed champion following some initial confusion.

Gane will make his first title defense against Josh Hokit at UFC 334.

With Aspinall vacating, some have wondered if a sour relationship with White had anything to do with it. But White says that simply isn’t the case.

Dana White Shares Comments on Relationship With Tom Aspinall

Speaking to reporters after UFC 331, White reacted to Aspinall vacating his title, saying that it had nothing to do with their relationship, as the UFC bossman said that he likes the former champion despite having a rivalry with Aspinall’s manager, Eddie Hearn.

“I promise you this, if I did not like Tom I would say it. And when guys sign with Eddie Hearn, and this is no (expletive), I’m not taking shots, we (expletive) crack up laughing. It’s hilarious. So, no, I don’t dislike Tom and anybody else that wants to sign with Eddie Hearn as their (expletive) manager, fire away,” White said.

Will Tom Aspinall Ever Fight Again?

The question everyone wants to know is: will Aspinall ever fight again?

Sadly, it’s too soon to say right now, and White said that he did not have any sort of timetable as to when the former UFC heavyweight champion would step back into the cage again.

Aspinall still hasn’t been cleared by a doctor to return to the Octagon, so we just have no idea when he could fight again, or ever.

It is sadly possible that the eye injury is so bad that Aspinall might have to retire from it, which would be the worst-case scenario for a fighter who was on track to be the greatest UFC heavyweight of all time.

Hopefully that won’t be the case, and he can get healthy soon. But for now, the heavyweight division moves on with Gane vs. Hokit as the next UFC heavyweight title fight.

This article was originally published on HEAVY

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