Tom Aspinall Gave up His UFC Title, but Is His Career Really Over?

Tom Aspinall is no longer the UFC heavyweight champion.

And honestly, that's still a weird sentence to type.

Just a few months ago, Aspinall was sitting on top of the heavyweight division and looked like the guy who could run the division for years. Now he's without a belt, hasn't fought in nearly a year and still doesn't have a clear timeline for when he'll be back.

So yeah, it's fair to ask: Is Tom Aspinall's career actually over?

Before anyone freaks out let’s make one thing abundantly clear: no, Aspinall isn't retiring.

The 33-year-old has reiterated that he still wants to fight. The plan is to get his eye healthy, get cleared by doctors and eventually make his way back into the Octagon.

The problem is that "eventually" is doing a lot of work here.

Aspinall's eye injury came during his fight with Ciryl Gane at UFC 321. The fight ended in a no contest after an eye poke, and what looked like a freak moment has turned into a long and frustrating recovery.

He's had multiple surgeries. He's dealt with another setback. And after being out for so long, there is still no definite return date.

Aspinall wasn't just some contender when this happened. He was the heavyweight champion and arguably one of the most dangerous fighters in the entire UFC.

He had won eight of his nine UFC fights, with his only loss coming from a knee injury just 15 seconds into his fight with Curtis Blaydes. When Aspinall was healthy, he looked like a nightmare matchup for pretty much anyone at heavyweight.

Now he has to watch the division move on without him.

The UFC is already moving forward with the heavyweight division, while other contenders continue building their resumes. By the time Aspinall is healthy enough to return, the division could look completely different.

And that's the part nobody can really predict.

If Aspinall comes back tomorrow and looks like the same guy, great. He can probably work his way right back into the title picture. But what happens if he's not the same?

That's the scary part about injuries in MMA. It's not just about getting your body healthy enough to fight again. It's about getting back in there and trusting that body when another guy is trying to take your head off.

Aspinall is also 33 now. That's certainly not old for a heavyweight, but the clock isn't exactly moving backward either.

Still, writing him off would be crazy.

He's young enough to make another run, talented enough to beat anyone in the division and already has the résumé to prove he belongs at the top.

The problem is that nobody knows when he'll get that chance. Aspinall hasn't announced his retirement. He hasn't said he's done. He still wants to fight.

But for the first time in his UFC career, his biggest fight isn't happening inside the Octagon.

It's against the clock.