Dana White Says UFC Will Discuss Tom Aspinall Title Status
Dana White said the UFC will talk about Tom Aspinall’s heavyweight title as the champion nears a full year out. The comments came at the Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn post-fight press conference in Las Vegas.
A reporter noted that next month will mark a year since Aspinall last competed. The question was whether he should vacate the belt or whether the UFC has discussed stripping him.
“Yeah, we’ll, we’ll definitely be talking about that,” White said.
He pointed to Valentina Shevchenko as the recent example. The longtime women’s flyweight champion vacated her title earlier this month after a shoulder and back ligament injury.
“It’s one of those like Valentina doesn’t wanna tie up the division,” White said. “And I’m assuming Tom feels the same way.”
White did not say a decision has already been made. He also did not claim Aspinall has agreed to give the belt up.
“I don’t know personally where he is health-wise with everything,” White said. “But yeah, we should clear that up soon.”
Aspinall has not fought since Oct. 25, 2025, at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi. His first undisputed title defense against Ciryl Gane ended in a no-contest after eye pokes left him unable to continue.
The English heavyweight later needed surgery and dealt with double vision. He is 15-3 with one no-contest and remains the UFC heavyweight champion on paper.
The UFC promoted him to undisputed champion after Jon Jones retired in 2025. Gane later beat Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 in June to win the interim title.
That interim belt has left the division split while Aspinall recovers. White said as recently as Sept. 9 that Aspinall is still hurt and that heavyweight “will just keep rolling.”
The tone Saturday was different. White linked Aspinall’s situation to Shevchenko’s choice to step aside so the flyweight division could move.
Natalia Silva and Wang Cong now meet for that vacant flyweight title at UFC 332 on Oct. 3 in Salt Lake City. White suggested Aspinall may not want the heavyweight picture frozen the same way.
That is still an assumption. White said he does not personally know Aspinall’s current medical status.
Aspinall said in June he was back in full training and wanted a Gane rematch. Manager Eddie Hearn later said the champion still needed additional testing before a return.
Aspinall also denied late-August reports that he planned to leave the UFC. White said then that the company was “good with Tom Aspinall” and that he would fight when healthy.
Saturday’s answer did not close that door. It did put the championship itself on the agenda for the first time in public.
Stripping a sitting champion is different from a fighter choosing to vacate. White was asked about both and answered that talks are coming.
The practical issue is time. October will be 12 months since the Gane no-contest, and no return date is booked.
Gane is the interim champion and has been calling for unification. Alex Pereira and others have stayed in the mix while the undisputed belt sits unused.
White’s comparison to Shevchenko matters because that vacancy produced an immediate title fight. If the UFC takes the same path at heavyweight, the next step would be a bout to settle the division.
Nothing like that has been announced. White said only that the company should “clear that up soon.”
Aspinall’s camp has not issued a public response to the latest remarks. Until it does, the champion still holds the undisputed title while the UFC prepares to discuss whether that can continue.