Tom Aspinall Out of UFC 334 Rematch With Ciryl Gane Due to Terrifying Eye Injury

Tom Aspinall is officially out of his UFC 334 rematch against Ciryl Gane at Madison Square Garden, and the details are the kind of medical nightmare that makes you want to stop reading. According to Ariel Helwani, Aspinall took a shot to his right eye in training that essentially reset his entire recovery timeline back to zero.

Multiple doctors have flat-out refused to clear him for the MSG card. When one doctor tells you to sit down, it is a suggestion. When multiple doctors look at your eye and refuse to sign the paperwork, you are no longer a mixed martial artist; you are a medical liability.

"Ariel Helwani reported that Aspinall's right eye was 'essentially sent back to square one' after a training incident."

The symptoms are genuinely terrifying. Aspinall is reportedly dealing with peripheral vision issues and seeing black spots. Fighting a heavyweight striker like Gane is hard enough with perfect vision. Trying to dodge a head kick when your right eye is broadcasting a broken television signal is just asking for a permanent nap.

This completely scrambles the top of the heavyweight division and leaves a massive hole in the UFC 334 lineup. Anyone holding a ticket for MSG or looking at the early betting lines for the Aspinall-Gane rematch just watched their investment evaporate. Gane is currently healthy and active, but finding a replacement who makes sense on this kind of notice is a logistical nightmare for the matchmakers.

The immediate hope is that Aspinall's eye can heal with strict rest by January. If the black spots do not clear up by then, he is looking at another surgery. Until then, the heavyweight picture is stuck in the waiting room, and Aspinall is sidelined indefinitely.