TOM ASPINALL is “ready” to make his return to UFC action.
The Atherton assassin has been on the sidelines since his ill-fated maiden defence of the heavyweight title at UFC 321 last October.
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Tom Aspinall hasn’t fought since being on the receiving end of a horror double eye poke from Cir Credit: ESPN / UFC
Aspinall underwent double eye surgery in February to repair the damage to his optics Credit: INSTAGRAMOPETGRAUK
Aspinall’s first outing as undisputed champion ended in a no-contest following a horrific DOUBLE EYE POKE from Ciryl Gane late in the first-round of their Abu Dhabi dust-up.
The fan favourite had to undergo DOUBLE eye surgery in February to repair the damage to his optics.
He suffered a minor setback with his recovery last month, but, according to his commercial advisor Eddie Hearn, he has been given the all-clear to resume fighting.
During an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, he said: “We’ve reached out to the UFC and we’ve told them.
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“Andy Aspinall, who’s got that relationship with Hunter [Campbell] and those guys, [told them], ‘Look, Tom is ready.’”
Hearn is now at the forefront of Aspinall’s commercial interests after signing him to his Matchroom Talent Agency.
And he’s hoping to renegotiate the current terms of his client’s contract with the MMA leader before his return against newly-crowned interim champ Gane.
He continued: “There’s going to be a conversation coming up about date and numbers.
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Eddie Hearn has claimed Tom Aspinall’s dad, Andy, has told the UFC his son is ready to return Credit: GETTY
Aspinall will rematch Gane in a heavyweight title unification bout Credit: ZUFFA
“We’re not coming in there to cause a big argument.
“What we’re coming in to say is that there’s a huge amount of money in a fight between Ciryl Gane and Tom Aspinall.
“Contractually, the numbers are…completely unfair in terms of the value that Tom Aspinall brings to that fight.
“What we’re asking for is just to be respected.”
French wrecking machine Gane has vehemently denied intentionally poking Aspinall in the eyes.
But the champ still firmly believes the Parisian puncher knew exactly what he was doing.
Tom Aspinall firmly believes Ciryl Gane intentionally poked him in the eye Credit: AP
In an exclusive interview with JattvibeSport, he said: “I don’t think Ciryl is a bad guy or anything like that.
“But, I can’t comprehend how you can poke someone like three times in four minutes and it not be on purpose.
“I can only speak from my own perspective, right? When I’m fighting, I know exactly what I’m doing.
“And nothing really happens on accident. So I don’t know how you can accidentally do something multiple times.
“But that doesn’t mean that I’m saying he’s a bad guy or whatever.
“I just don’t know how it’s physically possible to not do it on purpose.”
