Sean O’Malley Warns Tom Aspinall About Giving Ultimatum to UFC Top Brass

After questioning the nature of UFC's top leadership, Tom Aspinall could be at a huge risk of losing his 265lbs title outside the cage.

Sean O’Malley Warns Tom Aspinall About Giving Ultimatum to UFC Top Brass

Sean O'Malley shares his views on Tom Aspinall (via X)

For Tom Aspinall, the past few months have been anything but comfortable following a brutal eye injury suffered at UFC 321. The reigning heavyweight champion’s first title defense was brought to an abrupt halt when Cyril Gane poked his eye during their intense and highly anticipated clash last October.

Since then, the Englishman has made multiple medical visits while recovering from a rare eye condition known as bilateral traumatic Brown’s syndrome. The road back has also been rocky in terms of his relationship with the promotion.

Although Aspinall has reportedly undergone several procedures, some fans and pundits have questioned the severity of the injury. Matters grew more complicated when Dana White appeared less supportive publicly and declined to offer clear updates on the champion’s recovery.

The UK star admitted he felt confused and disappointed by White’s stance, saying he did not appreciate the tone or timing of the remarks. He also voiced frustration with the business side of MMA, arguing that fighters often lack proper support when they need it most.

Moreover, there were several rumors regarding the company forcing Aspinall to vacate the belt entirely. These claims later turned out to be false, but the friction between the two parties is palpable. In a recent YouTube video, Sean O’Malley weighed in on the situation at length and offered advice on how the champion should approach the road ahead.

They [UFC] want him [Aspinall] to vacate the belt, which I get. He said he’ll vacate if they release him… You just don’t want to be on the UFC’s bad side. Not that he is, but it sounds like they’re going through it.

Sean O’Malley via YouTube

The former champion also discussed the possibility of the UFC releasing Tom Aspinall and the UK fighter potentially pursuing boxing instead. Sean O’Malley further addressed the current heavyweight division, explaining that the weight class is presently going through a slump.

It’s been weird the last few years. Heavyweight division’s just kind of been not super exciting, not super interesting. You got Tom Aspinall. Jon Jones is pretty much done, ‘DC’s’ [Daniel Cormier] retired… The division is not that fun. It’s a matter of time. It’s a matter of time till the stars come up. It’s gonna be fun.

Sean O’Malley continued.

Aspinall, on the other hand, was motivated to return but didn’t want to fight with a compromised eye. Going forward, it will be interesting to see whether the heavyweight division will see his return or a fight for the vacant title. 

Michael Bisping talks about Tom Aspinall’s eye injury 

Following his injury, Tom Aspinall underwent two corrective surgeries to repair muscle damage and stabilize both affected eyes after trauma. He reported using 36 prescribed eye drops daily, including antibiotics, steroids, and lubricating solutions to prevent severe infection and inflammation.

Tom Aspinall's eye injury
Tom Aspinall’s eye injury (via X)

Doctors also placed him on oral pain medication and anti-inflammatory tablets to manage swelling and persistent headaches during recovery. The heavyweight champion attended weekly ophthalmology appointments where specialists tested vision, depth perception, and monitored nerve healing progress.

According to updates, he avoided sparring with bright lights and screen exposure while completing daily rehabilitation exercises at home. Former UFC middleweight champion and fellow Englishman Michael Bisping has also spoken about this, given his experience with eye-related combat sports injuries. 

Once you start messing around with the eyes, or any part of your body, it’s never the same again. Medical science has improved. In my career, it wasn’t saved by medical science. They did their best, but ultimately I did get blind. One thing you can’t do with an eye is rush back.

Michael Bisping via his YouTube

Michael Bisping permanently damaged his right eye during his fight against Vitor Belfort, yet continued competing despite losing vision completely. ‘The Count’ has since explained he does not want Tom Aspinall to endure a similar path of fighting with severe vision impairment.

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