British fighter Tom Aspinall has been forced to vacate his UFC heavyweight title due to ongoing complications from an eye injury sustained in his bout with Ciryl Gane last year.

The 33-year-old announced on Instagram on Monday that a fight date had been agreed and he was back sparring, but an accident caused further damage to his right eye. "This means more time away from the sport, and right now, the timing of my return is unclear," he wrote.

Aspinall has undergone multiple surgeries since receiving severe eye pokes in his title defence against Gane in Abu Dhabi in October last year. The contest was ruled a first-round no-contest after Aspinall was unable to continue.

Aspinall said he decided to relinquish the belt rather than delay the division while he recovers. His departure clears the way for Ciryl Gane, who captured the interim heavyweight title with a victory over Alex Pereira in June, to be elevated to undisputed champion.

Despite vacating the belt, Aspinall stressed that he was not retiring and remains determined to compete again. "Stepping away from the title is not stepping away from the sport or the dream," he wrote. "I’ll continue doing everything I can to get healthy, get cleared and get back to competing as soon as possible."

Source: www.aljazeera.com