Josh Hokit accuses Tom Aspinall of faking eye injury to leave UFC

Undefeated heavyweight Josh Hokit has accused Tom Aspinall of faking a serious eye injury to escape his UFC contract. Aspinall hasn't fought since his heavyweight title defense against Ciryl Gane ended in a no contest in October 2025, when Gane inadvertently poked him in both eyes in the first round. Aspinall subsequently vacated the title due to ongoing issues with his right eye.

Hokit, however, disputes the legitimacy of Aspinall's injury. Speaking to Ariel Helwani, the American suggested Aspinall is exaggerating the severity of his condition to engineer an exit from the UFC and potentially pursue a lucrative boxing opportunity. "I think he's just trying to get out of his deal, if I'm being 100% honest," Hokit stated. "I think he has his teammates farting on his pillow, then he goes to sleep, gets pink eye, posts that shit on Instagram."

Meanwhile, Ciryl Gane has been promoted to undisputed heavyweight champion following Aspinall's title vacation. The Frenchman is scheduled to defend his title against Hokit at UFC 334 on November 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York. The matchup represents Hokit's opportunity to claim UFC gold in his undefeated career.