Tom Aspinall has been diagnosed with a rare condition affecting both eyes following his heavyweight title defence at UFC 321 and has not yet been medically cleared to return to action.

The 32-year-old sustained the injury during his bout with France’s Ciryl Gane in Abu Dhabi on 25 October when the challenger accidentally poked him in both eyes late in the first round. Aspinall was unable to continue, and the contest was ruled a no-contest, allowing him to retain his heavyweight title.

A medical report shared by Aspinall on social media confirmed a diagnosis of “significant traumatic bilateral Brown’s syndrome” along with persistent double vision. In an update on his YouTube channel, Aspinall said: “We’ve got to see how it goes over the next few weeks. Obviously that’s down to the specialists and stuff, but I’m not in the gym training at the moment,” according to the BBC.

He added: “I’m not doing anything MMA-wise at the moment. I’m just following the doctor’s orders right now and seeing what happens with the health.” Aspinall also confirmed he has not heard from Gane since the fight and acknowledged that surgery may be required.

The medical report stated that specialist treatment is ongoing and that Aspinall is “not yet medically cleared for combat activity.” It also noted: “Depending on clinical progression, targeted periocular steroid injections or surgical intervention to address persistent motility impairment may be required if symptoms fail to resolve.”

Brown’s syndrome is a condition where the eye cannot move upwards properly, particularly when looking inward, and Aspinall is also suffering from reduced eye movement, visual function and substantial visual field loss.

The incident has renewed focus on eye pokes in MMA, with veteran referee Herb Dean saying in November that officials will look to more regularly enforce point deductions for such fouls. The UFC introduced redesigned gloves in June 2024 to reduce eye injuries but reverted to the original style later in the year.