Sports
What is Bilateral Brown’s Syndrome?
Tom Aspinall has been diagnosed with a rare eye condition following the injury sustained by Ciryl Gane which ended his recent UFC heavyweight title defence in a no-contest.
During the first round of their fight on the 25th of October, Gane accidentally poked Aspinall in both eyes, leaving the 32-year-old unable to see and therefore continue the bout.
The decision was controversially received — with Aspinall claiming it was intentional after being booed by the crowd following the fight being stopped at UFC 321. As the fight was called a no-contest, the referee deemed the injury accidental rather than intentional, which would have resulted in a victory for the Brit.
“Guys, I just got poked knuckle deep in the eyeball. Why are you booing? I can’t see,” said a dejected Aspinall. “I can hardly open my eye. Look! It was a double eye poke.”
Tom Aspinall’s Injury Explained
Aspinall revealed through a medical report on his Instagram account that he has now been diagnosed with Bilateral Brown’s Syndrome — a rare condition which restricts eye movement.
Since the Frenchman’s ‘knuckle deep’ eye poke, Aspinall has been suffering from persistent double vision, reduced eye mobility, visual function, and substantial field loss.
He has not been cleared to fight or train yet and revealed the injury may require surgery, which could even prevent him fighting in 2026.
Aspinall was taken to hospital in Manchester to see a specialist following the fight and his father, Andy, claimed that even three days later, his son still had no vision.
“His right eye — he still can’t see anything. He said it’s just grey. His left eye’s about 50%, so one’s really blurry and one’s still not working.”
Aspinall is now undergoing specialist treatment and has seen improvements since suffering the injury. However, the report states: “Steroid injections or surgical intervention to address persistent motility impairment may be required if symptoms fail to resolve.”
What is Bilateral Brown’s Syndrome?
Aspinall’s condition, Bilateral Brown’s Syndrome, is one that causes restricted eye movement of both eyes as opposed to Unilateral Brown’s Syndrome, which is just a singular eye.
It can also induce a change in head posture — a turn of the head or tilt of the chin — in order for the eyes to be used together as a pair easier, as well as a squint while looking straight ahead or a clicking sensation around the eye when looking upwards and inwards.
The condition can be present from birth or, in Aspinall’s case, develop later in life due to trauma or an injury to the eye area. In most cases, surgery is not required. However, the severity of the heavyweight champion’s injury means that in order to be able to compete at the very top level again — he may have no other option.
Recovery time from surgery typically spans up to three months, but spontaneous resolution, non-surgical recovery, can occur in up to seven months.
The Salford-born fighter is still in the early stages of recovery at the moment and isn’t doing anything ‘MMA-wise’ yet, but has expressed his eagerness to get back in the cage with Gane.
“I’m obviously very keen to get back and beat this guy up. But I’ve got to be 100% right. Whenever the eye’s good to go, that’s when I’ll do it.”
