Tom Aspinall’s grip on the UFC heavyweight title is now under public review from the man who runs the company. Dana White told reporters at the Ryan Garcia vs. Conor Benn post-fight press conference in Las Vegas on Saturday, 12 September that Aspinall’s title status will be on the agenda in the coming days.

“Yeah, we’ll definitely be talking about that,” White said when asked whether the promotion would consider stripping the Briton.

“Valentina doesn’t want to tie up the division, and I’m assuming Tom feels the same way. I don’t know personally where he is health-wise with everything, but we should clear that up soon.”

A champion sidelined for almost a year

Aspinall has not competed since his first title defense against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 on 25 October 2025, a bout in Abu Dhabi that ended in a first-round no contest after an accidental eye poke. He has since had multiple eye surgeries and remains without a medical clearance to fight, leaving him inactive for more than 320 days by the time of White’s comments.

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The 33-year-old inherited the undisputed belt when Jon Jones retired in June 2025. Announcing the decision in Azerbaijan, White told reporters at the time: “Jon Jones is officially retired. Tom Aspinall is the heavyweight champion of the UFC.” His only appearance as undisputed champion is the aborted Gane fight.

Gane has since been installed as interim heavyweight champion, keeping the division moving while Aspinall recovers.

The Shevchenko precedent

White’s reference to Shevchenko is what gives the remarks their edge. The Kyrgyz-Peruvian voluntarily vacated the women’s flyweight championship during the UFC Paris broadcast on 6 September after her coach Pavel Fedotov disclosed shoulder and back ligament damage that could keep her out for up to a year. Natalia Silva and Wang Cong will fight for the undisputed belt at UFC 332 on 3 October at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, and Shevchenko has been promised a title shot on her return.

That timeline has now become the yardstick White is holding up to Aspinall. Shevchenko had been inactive for less time than the Briton when she stepped aside, a comparison the UFC president made explicitly at the press conference.

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Aspinall himself signaled earlier in the year that the timing of his return was not solely in his hands, telling reporters the promotion controlled the next step. The manager guiding the negotiations on his side is Eddie Hearn, better known in boxing circles, and no comeback fight has been announced.

For now, White has stopped short of an ultimatum. His words point to a conversation rather than a decision, but the linkage to Shevchenko makes clear that vacating, voluntarily or otherwise, is now on the table. The next UFC pay-per-view, UFC 332 on 3 October at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, is the immediate marker on the calendar for a resolution on the champion’s status.

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