Tom Aspinall has denied reports that he is set to leave the UFC, issuing a firm public statement after his boxing coach sparked a social media firestorm by claiming the heavyweight champion would never fight in the promotion again.
Aspinall’s striking coach, Stipe Drviš, made the explosive claim during an Instagram Live session on Wednesday, stating that the 33-year-old Englishman was done with the UFC. The comments spread quickly across MMA media, raising serious questions about the future of the undisputed heavyweight title — and Aspinall responded within hours.
“I’m not leaving the UFC,” Aspinall wrote in a statement posted to his social media. “I’ve never said I have in any interview and any words that have been taken from others today are simply not true. We are talking with the UFC daily and they will update you guys always.”
What Did Tom Aspinall’s Coach Actually Say About His UFC Future?
Drviš, who has worked with Aspinall as a boxing coach for several years, went live on Instagram on August 26 and told viewers that Aspinall had no intention of competing in the UFC again. The exact wording of the coach’s remarks varied slightly across reports, but the substance was clear: he believed Aspinall’s future lay outside the UFC Octagon.
The timing could hardly have been worse. Aspinall has already been sidelined for nearly a year — his last fight, a heavyweight title defense against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi on October 25, 2025, ended in a no-contest after repeated eye pokes at 4:35 of the first round. He was subsequently diagnosed with a rare eye condition causing double vision and underwent multiple eye surgeries before being cleared to resume training earlier this year.
A fighter who hasn’t competed in twelve months, a coach publicly declaring he’s done with the promotion, a management deal with a man Dana White hates — the ingredients were there for a full-blown crisis. Aspinall’s statement was clearly designed to stop that fire before it spread.
Why Is Tom Aspinall Signed With Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom?
Part of the backdrop to Wednesday’s drama is Aspinall’s decision, announced in March 2026, to restructure his management to include Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Sport. Hearn, one of boxing’s most prominent promoters, has had a well-documented and bitter feud with UFC CEO Dana White spanning several years.
White’s response to the Matchroom signing was dismissive, and the relationship between champion and promotion has been tense since. Hearn has been vocal about Aspinall deserving better pay, telling the UFC in June: “The numbers are, we’ll veer on the peace side, just completely unfair in terms of the value that Tom Aspinall brings.” He has also pointed out that Aspinall is earning more commercially outside the Octagon than he is in it.
That friction, combined with the coach’s comments, gave the exit rumours oxygen. But Aspinall’s statement was unambiguous: negotiations are ongoing, not dead.
What Is Tom Aspinall’s Current Status After UFC 321?
Aspinall holds a record of 15-3-0 and has finished 14 of his 15 professional wins, including 12 by knockout. He has finished more than a dozen opponents in the first round, often in under 60 seconds. His combination of elite grappling and explosive striking made him one of the most feared heavyweights in UFC history before injury brought his run to a halt.
After three eye surgeries and months of rehabilitation, Aspinall returned to full training in June 2026. He confirmed this week that “momentum is slowly but surely shifting in a positive direction” — though no fight date has been formally announced.
Dana White, for his part, offered little warmth: “I would like to see Aspinall compete again,” the UFC boss said recently, adding little beyond that.
When Could Tom Aspinall Return to the Octagon?
The most likely scenario remains a title unification rematch with Ciryl Gane. UFC 334 in November at Madison Square Garden in New York has been mentioned as a potential target, though nothing has been confirmed. Aspinall has indicated he plans to return before the end of 2026.
The heavyweight division has been in limbo for almost a year. Jon Jones, whose ongoing contract and medical situation has kept him out of the picture for longer still, looms as the ultimate super-fight, but that matchup has stalled repeatedly over money. Aspinall making it back to action — and winning — would give the UFC its clearest path to one of the sport’s most anticipated bouts.
Wednesday’s noise from his coach was just that: noise. But it is a reminder of how precarious the situation around Aspinall remains, and how quickly calm can collapse into chaos when a fighter, his management, and the promotion are not on the same page. Whether the UFC meets his side’s demands before November will determine whether the heavyweight picture gets much clearer any time soon.
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