Story perspectives

Dana White Says UFC May Strip Tom Aspinall

By Drooid · Sep 13, 2026, 10:50 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Dana White Considers Stripping

Dana White said UFC will discuss stripping Tom Aspinall of the heavyweight title.
Aspinall has not defended his belt since UFC 321 in October 2025 after eye injuries from Ciryl Gane’s pokes.
Aspinall announced full training in June 2026, but Eddie Hearn says further medical tests remain required.
White likened Aspinall’s case to Valentina Shevchenko, who vacated her flyweight title after an injury and a canceled Oct. 3 2026 defense.

Summary

Cejudo Urges Vacate

Henry Cejudo urged Tom Aspinall to vacate the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) belt on his Pound-4-Pound podcast.
Daniel Cormier called on the UFC to settle the Aspinall dispute and return the champion to competition.
Eddie Hearn called Aspinall’s UFC contract “a f*cking disgrace,” heightening tension with UFC president Dana White.
Cejudo suggested the Josh Hokit-Alex Pereira winner face Ciryl Gane for a title and doubted UFC would wait for Aspinall.

History

Historical Context

After Dana White stripped Jon Jones of the light-heavyweight belt in April 2015 following a hit-and-run and later imposed a one-year USADA suspension, the UFC has repeatedly enforced active defenses. Now, with Tom Aspinall missing a defense since UFC 321 in October 2025, White faces similar pressure to vacate the title to preserve fan interest and broadcast deals.

1 of 3

Dana White Considers Stripping

Dana White said UFC will discuss stripping Tom Aspinall of the heavyweight title.
Aspinall has not defended his belt since UFC 321 in October 2025 after eye injuries from Ciryl Gane’s pokes.
Aspinall announced full training in June 2026, but Eddie Hearn says further medical tests remain required.
White likened Aspinall’s case to Valentina Shevchenko, who vacated her flyweight title after an injury and a canceled Oct. 3 2026 defense.

1 / 3