Joe Rogan fears UFC champion Tom Aspinall may never fight again

The future of one of the UFC’s most exciting heavyweights is suddenly uncertain. Joe Rogan has openly raised concerns about Tom Aspinall after the champion suffered a serious eye injury that could threaten his career.

Vision problems during the fight

The incident occurred at UFC 321 during Aspinall’s bout with Ciryl Gane. Early in the contest, Aspinall was accidentally struck in both eyes by Gane’s fingers. Referees stopped the fight immediately, but Aspinall made it clear that something was wrong.

According to Aspinall, his vision was severely impaired right away. Medical evaluations later confirmed that he was dealing with bilateral traumatic Brown’s syndrome, a rare condition that affects the muscles and tendons controlling eye movement.

Joe Rogan sounds the alarm

Speaking on his podcast, Joe Rogan did not try to soften the message. He explained that Aspinall is still struggling with his eyesight and warned that recovery is far from guaranteed. In Rogan’s view, if surgery fails to restore full vision, the UFC champion may have no choice but to walk away from the sport.

Rogan stressed that eye injuries are among the most unpredictable in combat sports. While some fighters have competed with limited vision in the past, he emphasized that every case is different and that the risks are often too great to ignore.

A major loss for the heavyweight division

Olympic wrestler Gable Steveson also weighed in on the situation. He described Aspinall as a truly elite athlete and compared him to Turkish Olympic champion Taha Akgül. At the same time, Steveson acknowledged that the UFC heavyweight division lacks depth at the very top.

For many fans and analysts, Aspinall represented a new era for the heavyweight class. His combination of speed, technique, and finishing ability made him a rare talent. That is why this injury comes at such a difficult moment, with uncertainty already surrounding several of the division’s biggest names.

Social media reaction

The situation has sparked widespread discussion online. Below is a social media post referencing Aspinall’s injury update and his upcoming surgery:

Tom Aspinall delivers new injury update as he undergoes surgery after eye poke.

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Source: VechtsportInfo (Dutch)