The MMA community was thrown into chaos this week when baseless rumors about UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall allegedly vacating his title and being “exiled” from the promotion spread across social media — and a former UFC fighter bought it hook, line, and sinker.
The drama began when X user Rueben Carter (@realruebenking) posted an inflammatory claim that Aspinall had not only vacated his heavyweight title but had been released from his UFC contract by “mutual agreement”. In line with Carter’s fabricated report, the UFC wanted the British champion to vacate his belt, and Aspinall allegedly agreed — but only in the event that they released him so he could pursue boxing opportunities.
From my understanding, Tom Aspinall has not only vacated his title…
But he has also been exiled from the UFC roster by mutual agreement.
The UFC wanted him to vacate and he said he’ll but only in the event that they release him from thr contract so he can go and box.
Make certain you…
— Rueben Carter 🥇 (@realruebenking) February 12, 2026
The tweet quickly gained traction, and retired UFC lightweight Josh “The Punk” Thomson took the bait without verifying the knowledge. Thomson, who now works as an MMA analyst, shared his concerns on social media, asking: “Will the UFC let Tom Aspinall walk? The HW and LHW divisions are in shambles after being the back bone of the UFC and the game of MMA because the starting. How does the UFC fix this?”
Will the UFC let Tom Aspinall walk ? The HW and LHW divisions are in shambles after being the back bone of the UFC and the game of MMA because the starting. How does the UFC fix this? pic.twitter.com/SaWOhtB7ak
— Josh Thomson (@THEREALPUNK) February 12, 2026
Thomson’s post amplified the false narrative, causing confusion amongst fans and media members in regards to the heavyweight division’s future. Nonetheless, the rumors were quickly shut down by credible MMA journalist Peter “Petesy” Carroll of Uncrowned, who directly contacted sources near the situation.
This isn’t true. Nobody has contacted Tom Aspinall or his team about vacating his title or being exiled from the roster. Looks like that may be vital by way of a mutual agreement. https://t.co/cIgNoFq07r
— Peter Carroll (@PetesyCarroll) February 13, 2026
“This isn’t true,” Carroll wrote definitively on X. “Nobody has contacted Tom Aspinall or his team about vacating his title or being exiled from the roster. Looks like that may be vital by way of a mutual agreement”.
Carroll’s fact-checking exposed your entire story as fabricated, leaving Thomson looking silly for spreading unverified information to his substantial following. The incident highlights a growing problem in MMA media — the rapid spread of misinformation on social media platforms without proper verification only for clicks and views.
The true story surrounding Aspinall is much less dramatic but equally concerning for UFC brass. The heavyweight champion has been sidelined since October following a no-contest result against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321, which ended when Aspinall suffered severe eye damage from an illegal eye poke. The 32-year-old recently underwent double eye surgery in London and has been recovering.
After his highly publicised eye poke, Optegra’s experts are proud to have supported UFC Heavyweight Champion @AspinallMMA. In recent months we’ve worked closely with him on his recovery. With an op on each eyes we proceed the journey to get Tom’s vision back to fighting fitness. pic.twitter.com/23nnvAcG4R
— Optegra (@Optegra) February 10, 2026
While there was legitimate speculation about whether the UFC might create an interim heavyweight title during Aspinall’s recovery, no official discussions about vacating the belt have taken place. Aspinall has expressed his desire to rebook the Gane fight once medically cleared, and the promotion has not publicly pressured him to relinquish his championship.
The fake news incident serves as a cautionary tale in regards to the importance of fact-checking in modern MMA journalism, especially for those with large platforms like Thomson, who should know higher than to amplify unverified claims from random social media accounts.