Tom Aspinall says he’s ready to fight, waiting on UFC return date

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has signaled his readiness to return to action and is eyeing a September return at UFC Paris. The Brit has been sidelined since suffering a severe eye injury at UFC 321 in October, when Ciryl Gane accidentally poked him in both eyes simultaneously in the first round, resulting in a no-contest ruling.

Aspinall (15-3) recently announced on his YouTube channel that he has informed the UFC he is fit to compete and is specifically targeting the UFC Paris card scheduled for September 5. "We've let the UFC know that we're ready to go and we're just waiting for dates," Aspinall said. "We've just literally told them we can do it in Paris. We told them we can do it wherever they want. So, we're just waiting for them to let us know. It's down to the UFC."

The champion's recovery comes amid an ongoing rift with the promotion. Aspinall grew frustrated with how the UFC handled the aftermath of his injury and with comments made by Dana White. The tensions escalated when Aspinall brought boxing promoter Eddie Hearn on board as an advisor, further straining his relationship with UFC leadership.

Meanwhile, Ciryl Gane claimed the interim heavyweight title for the second time at UFC Freedom 250 by defeating Alex Pereira, setting up a rematch with Aspinall once the champion is cleared to fight.