Tom Aspinall “Exiled From UFC” hoax goes VIRAL after Josh Thomson amplifies bogus report appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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.
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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”. According to Carter’s fabricated report, the UFC wanted the British champion to vacate his belt, and Aspinall allegedly agreed — but only if they released him so he could pursue boxing opportunities.
The tweet quickly gained traction, and retired UFC lightweight Josh “The Punk” Thomson took the bait without verifying the information. 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 sport of MMA since the beginning. How does the UFC fix this?”
Thomson’s post amplified the false narrative, causing confusion among fans and media members about the heavyweight division’s future. However, the rumors were quickly shut down by credible MMA journalist Peter “Petesy” Carroll of Uncrowned, who directly contacted sources close to the situation.
“This is not true,” Carroll wrote definitively on X. “No one has contacted Tom Aspinall or his team about vacating his title or being exiled from the roster. Seems like that would be important in terms of a mutual agreement”.
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Carroll’s fact-checking exposed the entire story as fabricated, leaving Thomson looking foolish 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 just for clicks and views.
The real story surrounding Aspinall is far 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.
While there has been 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.
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The fake news incident serves as a cautionary tale about the importance of fact-checking in modern MMA journalism, especially for those with large platforms like Thomson, who should know better than to amplify unverified claims from random social media accounts.
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