Tom Aspinall Reveals Ciryl Gane Fight Talks with UFC Amid Return to Training After Double Eye-Poke
UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has resumed "full training" for the first time since suffering eye injuries in his no contest with Ciryl Gane last October.
Aspinall wrote Thursday on social media and said he's in talks with UFC officials about a possible rematch.
Their original encounter ended abruptly in the first round after Gane twice poked Aspinall in the eye.
Doctors later diagnosed Aspinall with bilateral traumatic Brown's syndrome, and he underwent surgery in February.
With the 33-year-old unable to compete, the UFC had to crown an interim heavyweight champion. Gane beat Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 to claim the honor, and that naturally set up a potential return bout with Aspinall.
Matchroom Boxing's Eddie Hearn, who represents Aspinall, pumped the brakes on that idea a bit earlier this month, though.
"I'm not going to let Tom Aspinall fight for the kind of money that's in his contract," Hearn told reporters. "To be involved in a fight against Pereira or Gane for literally 1/50th of the revenue of that show, f--k that. I won't let him do it. It's time those UFC fighters stop being mugs and start to understand that these people are taking advantage of them. They deserve better."
Thursday's update doesn't mean Aspinall and the UFC are close to terms regarding a return to the Octagon. The fact the dialogue is at least open provides some encouragement he and Gane will finally have a chance to determine who's the superior fighter.
