Tom Aspinall faces bleak outlook as manager's boxing rhetoric risks UFC career

Tom Aspinall, 33, holds the UFC heavyweight title with zero successful defenses and has seen his reputation damaged following his performance against Gane, while also dealing with an eye injury. His manager Eddie Hearn's repeated declarations about a boxing crossover are viewed as self-serving publicity moves that offer Aspinall no realistic path to a sustained boxing career, yet risk burning bridges with UFC management. The most likely outcome of the current standoff is that Aspinall sits out the prime years of his career without fights, leaving the heavyweight division further starved of meaningful championship bouts.