Few people in MMA understand the long-term consequences of eye injuries better than Michael Bisping and that’s exactly why he’s urging Tom Aspinall not to rush his return to the Octagon.
Aspinall is currently facing surgeries on both eyes after suffering severe eye pokes during his title fight against Ciryl Gane, a bout that was ultimately ruled a no-contest. While Aspinall has publicly discussed working toward recovery and getting back into action, Bisping is sounding the alarm based on painful personal experience.
Bisping competed in many of the biggest fights of his career with compromised vision something he now views as a cautionary tale rather than a badge of toughness.
“It was 10, 11, 12 fights I don’t know how many fights it was with one eye, but it was definitely a lot,” Bisping said in a recent YouTube video. “Because of that, and because I had about five or six eye surgeries, I do know a little about this.”
Bisping explained that while Aspinall’s procedures may sound routine on paper, eye surgeries are never trivial.
“Tom’s gonna need, apparently, eye surgery,” Bisping said. “It’ll probably just be a minor thing like a realignment of the tendons, but these can go wrong.”
A Career-Altering Lesson
Bisping’s own ordeal began after his January 2013 fight with Vitor Belfort, when a head kick caused severe damage to his right eye. Though he returned to competition just months later in April of that same year the consequences followed him for the rest of his career.
“My retina was reattached after it was detached against Vitor Belfort, and then it re-detached, and then they fixed it again, and then I got glaucoma,” Bisping said. “Once you start messing around with the eyes, it’s never the same again. It’s never quite as strong, and things can go wrong.”
Despite eventually going on an incredible run including winning the UFC middleweight title and making 11 more Octagon appearances Bisping now lives with permanent vision loss in his right eye.
Why Aspinall’s Situation Is Even Riskier
What concerns Bisping most is that Aspinall isn’t dealing with just one damaged eye. Bisping’s injuries were limited primarily to his right eye. Aspinall, by contrast, is undergoing procedures on both, dramatically raising the stakes.
“That’s what makes this especially complicated,” Bisping noted. “Tom has got to take his time.”
If there’s one lesson Bisping hopes Aspinall takes to heart, it’s patience something Bisping admits he lacked during his own career.
“The one thing you can’t do with an eye is rush back,” Bisping said. “That is the one big lesson that I learned, because I did that. I rushed back too soon, I rushed back to sparring. I rushed back to competition, and I never saw out of that eye again.”
Now retired, Bisping doesn’t sugarcoat the consequences. “Tom has got to take his time,” he said.
Protecting More Than a Title
At just 30 years old and already the UFC heavyweight champion, Aspinall has years of potential greatness ahead of him but only if his health allows it. Bisping’s message isn’t about toughness or legacy inside the cage; it’s about life after fighting.
A belt can be won again. Vision cannot. And if Michael Bisping’s career taught the sport anything, it’s that no comeback is worth permanent damage especially when you only get one set of eyes.
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Robert LaMar is a writer for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X via @RobertLaMar26
