UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall is nearly a year removed from his last fight after suffering fight-ending eye injuries at UFC 321 in his lone undisputed heavyweight title defense attempt vs. Cyril Gane in Abu Dhabi.Aspinall has held onto the title during his absence, as the UFC orchestrated an interim title at UFC Freedom 250. In the June co-headliner, Gane earned a TKO stoppage against former two-division champion Alex Pereira in Pereira's heavyweight debut. Although Gane became a two-time interim champion with the victory, the focus quickly shifted to when Aspinall would compete again.It appears a return to the Octagon could happen in the near future, according to Aspinall himself. Aspinall took to social media to address his status, as it appears that momentum is slowly but surely shifting in a positive direction, while the UFC has remained rather quiet on what could be next for Aspinall.The Latest On UFC-Tom Aspinall Drama(Giuseppe CACACE / AFP)In a new post from Aspinall, he made one aspect of his current timeline clear: his sole focus remains returning to the UFC and only the UFC. Not boxing, another MMA promotion, or otherwise.pic.twitter.com/7qFFXciMH7— Tom Aspinall (@AspinallMMA) August 26, 2026"I'm not leaving the UFC," Aspinall wrote. "I’ve never said I have in any interview and any words that have been taken from others today are simply not true."Aspinall also clarified that he and the UFC have been anything but distant in negotiations over a return date, which remains unconfirmed, with no official main event announcements for UFC 332, UFC 334, or UFC 335 as the promotional schedule winds down.UFC Remains Mum Regarding Tom AspinallZuffa LLCAs far as the UFC is concerned, CEO Dana White has been blunt about Aspinall in recent years as the narrative shifted in an arguably negative context following the No Contest vs. Gane."Oh Jesus, don't let me talk about Tom Aspinall's eye," White said in January after UFC 324. "Apparently he's going in for a second surgery, or just had it … or … and by surgery I mean injections. I have no idea."White said shortly thereafter that he would like to see Aspinall compete again, without much further of an explanation to follow.Tom Aspinall UFC Return Timeline UnclearJoe Camporeale-Imagn Images"I think the thing's going to be taken out of context, or he didn't see what I said because I don't even know what the f*** I said," White said after UFC 323. "But never once did I say anything negative about him or in a derogatory way."We'll see what transpires regarding Aspinall moving forward. For now, nothing about a UFC comeback is definitive.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow