It's been a year since UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall last defended his belt, and based on recent remarks from Dana White, there could be action taken against him for failing to do so. After Saturday night's Noche UFC: Silva vs. Delgado, White appeared at the post-event press conference.
A reporter brought up Aspinall not having defended his championship in so long, and whether they might ask him to vacate it. "We'll definitely be talking about that. Valentina [Shevchenko] doesn't want to tie up the division.
And I'm assuming Tom feels the same way. I don't know personally where he is health-wise. We should clear that up soon," the UFC president and CEO said.
White's comment referred to Shevchenko vacating the UFC Women's Strawweight Championship due to injury. She was originally going to defend the belt at UFC 332 on Oct. 3, 2026, but had to withdrew due to suffering an injury that will keep her out of action for a year. More news: Conor McGregor Reveals Next Career Move After UFC Contract Ends At last October's UFC 321, Aspinall got accidentally poked in the eye twice during his fight against Ciryl Gane.
The fight was ruled a no contest, and although Aspinall retained his championship, he suffered eye injuries. According to ESPN, these required multiple surgeries. It was reported that Aspinall's surgeries would be completed by mid-January, but at the time of the report, no timeline was given for his return to fighting.
Aspinall seemed intent on returning to fight, but nothing has been set up involving him. A Forbes report noted speculation that a rematch between Gane and Aspinall could headline UFC 334 in New York City's Madison Square Garden in November. As of this writing, UFC hasn't announced the headline fight for that event's fight card, so something could be coming soon.
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