Tom Aspinall is making some major changes in the second half of 2026.
The former UFC heavyweight champion recently vacated his 265-pound title after failing to obtain medical clearance for his MMA return. The eye that was damaged in his “No Contest” against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi continues to give him problems and will require additional treatment moving forward.
There is no timetable for his UFC return and some insiders predict he’ll retire from competition.
In the meantime, Aspinall is
quitting his popular podcast series on YouTube, wrapping things up last Wednesday, and will also step away from social media. Probably because toxic MMA fans have continued to make the experience unpleasant; which unfortunately, is part of the gig these days.
“I mean, I’ve really enjoyed it, but moving forward, I don’t think I’ll have enough time to focus on podcasting for now,” Aspinall said on the final episode of his podcast. “So maybe we’ll come back to it for one day, but for right now, I’m just focusing on getting back to fighting, that’s my focus. That’s all I wanna do. So thanks to everyone for listening. Thanks for supporting me through all the bad times as well. And I’ll see you soon.”
I think we have different definitions of the word “soon.”
“As Tom explained earlier this week, he is stepping away from social media for the time being while he focuses fully on his recovery,” added co-host Charlie Moose. “It’s obviously not been the year any of us would have wanted, especially Tom, and ultimately his health has to come before everything else. There won’t be any regular content for the foreseeable future while Tom focuses on his recovery. He has recorded a short message for you all which we’ll share in the coming days.”
In his absence, the heavyweight division remains up for grabs.
