Aspinall vacates heavyweight title after fresh eye injury

Tom Aspinall's decision to relinquish the UFC heavyweight title swallows the day, a title reign of zero defenses undone by the eye damage Ciryl Gane's fouls started at UFC 321. Beyond that, it was a talk-heavy Sunday-into-Monday: Khamzat Chimaev floated a layoff, Alex Pereira lobbied for the now-open belt, Conor McGregor turned up on crutches, and UFC 331 looms Saturday in Los Angeles.

Aspinall vacates UFC heavyweight title, reveals fresh eye injury

Tom Aspinall (15-3, 8-1 UFC) announced Monday he is relinquishing the undisputed heavyweight title, citing ongoing complications from the double eye poke Ciryl Gane landed at UFC 321, which turned their October 2025 bout into a no-contest. Aspinall said he had agreed to a return date and was back sparring when a training accident caused further damage to his right eye, leaving his timeline unclear. He insists he is not retiring and pointedly blamed the fouls that 'changed the course of my career.' The move comes a day after Dana White said the UFC would discuss his status.

Why it matters: A logjammed division finally moves: Aspinall exits without a single successful defense, and interim champ Gane — who knocked out Alex Pereira at Freedom 250 — is now the obvious candidate to be elevated to undisputed.

Pereira lobbies for Gane rematch at MSG with heavyweight belt in flux

With Aspinall stepping aside, Alex Pereira is publicly angling for a rematch with Ciryl Gane at Madison Square Garden on the UFC 334 card (Nov. 14). Pereira maintains his Freedom 250 stoppage loss was tainted by illegal shots to the back of the head and says he has earned a crack at a third divisional title, while leaving a return to light heavyweight as a fallback. Nothing is booked.

Why it matters: If the UFC promotes Gane to undisputed, a Pereira rematch is its most marketable near-term option while the division resets — but a former two-division champ freshly knocked out demanding a title shot will test how much goodwill his short-notice history has banked.

Chimaev threatens layoff for surgeries if UFC doesn't book him by December

Former middleweight champion Khamzat Chimaev says that if the UFC fails to book him before the end of the year, he will step away to address a backlog of health issues, disclosing he has been under anesthesia seven times, had six surgeries, and is missing half his thyroid. He targeted October and then December in Abu Dhabi but has no opponent; with Sean Strickland vs. Nassourdine Imavov rumored for the title, Chimaev would need a non-title contender bout to stay active. He also admitted he was compromised entering his UFC 328 loss to Strickland.

Why it matters: A former champion who once fought twice in ten days now faces a possible year-plus on the shelf, and his admission that he fought Strickland hurt reframes that upset — and clouds his path back into the 185-pound title mix.

UFC 331 lands Saturday with Tsarukyan calling it title-shot-or-bust

UFC 331 goes down Saturday (Sept. 19) at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, headlined by flyweight champion Joshua Van defending against former champ Alexandre Pantoja in a rematch. In the co-main, No. 1 lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan frames his bout with Mauricio Ruffy as do-or-die, saying a loss ends his title hopes for good after his 2025 withdrawal cost him a shot at Makhachev. The card also features Brian Ortega's lightweight debut against Renato Moicano and Patricio Freire vs. Doo-ho Choi.

Why it matters: Tsarukyan's long, injury-scarred wait for a lightweight title shot could finally resolve at 155, with Justin Gaethje — sidelined into 2027 with hand injuries — waiting on the other side.

McGregor spotted on crutches, eyes summer 2027 return

Conor McGregor was photographed on crutches in Beverly Hills with a fresh surgical scar, weeks after August surgery to repair the ACL and meniscus he tore just 69 seconds into his UFC 329 loss to Max Holloway. He is targeting International Fight Week in summer 2027 — the final fight on his current UFC deal. McGregor also took a shot at Holloway for waving to the referee to stop the fight, insisting Holloway should have 'finished the f***ing fight.'

Why it matters: The recovery timeline pushes McGregor's next appearance to nearly two years after a comeback that lasted barely a minute, keeping one of the sport's biggest draws on the shelf and his 'last dance' perpetually over the horizon.

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