Aspinall Suffers Eye Pokes Against Gane
Tom Aspinall’s first defense of his undisputed heavyweight title concluded in disappointing fashion after an accidental eye poke from Ciryl Gane rendered the British fighter unable to continue at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi.
Near the end of a closely contested first round, Gane of France inadvertently poked Aspinall in both eyes during a punching attempt, prompting the referee to halt the bout.
Aspinall, 32, was observed informing the ringside physician that he “can’t see” while applying a compress to his eye. With Aspinall unable to proceed, the referee declared the match a no-contest.
The ruling allowed Aspinall to retain his title, albeit in an anticlimactic manner. He voiced his frustration in the post-fight interview as the crowd expressed its disapproval with boos.
“Guys, I just got poked knuckle deep in the eyeball. Why are you booing? I can’t see,” a disheartened Aspinall stated.
“The fight was just getting going. I can hardly open my eye. Look! It was a double eye poke.”
Aspinall was subsequently transported to a local hospital and was not present at the post-fight press conference.
The declaration of a no-contest indicated the referee’s judgment that the foul was unintentional, as opposed to an intentional act that would have resulted in Gane’s disqualification.
A disqualification would have been recorded as a victory for Aspinall.
Gane displayed similar dissatisfaction with the outcome, pacing around the perimeter of the octagon and shaking his head as the decision was announced.
“I feel sorry. I’m sorry for the crowd, for the fans, I’m sorry for Tom Aspinall and sorry for myself,” Gane commented.
“We put a lot of energy in this fight so I’m disappointed, but this is the sport, this is life.
“I don’t know what is going to happen for the future, but we will see.”
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The fight had been promoted as the dawn of a new era for the UFC’s heavyweight division, and with Aspinall expressing a desire to invigorate the division, this setback is particularly disheartening.
Fans showed their support for Aspinall with cheers throughout fight week, while Gane was met with boos.
This enthusiasm continued on fight night, as chants of “Tommy Aspinall” echoed through the arena. However, this support shifted to jeers when Aspinall was unable to continue.
Aspinall was making his first title defense since being elevated from interim champion in June, following the retirement of former champion Jon Jones.
He held the interim title for 19 months, awaiting a title unification bout with Jones.
The outcome is further complicated by the fact that the first round showed indications of Gane challenging Aspinall in a way his previous UFC opponents had not.
Aspinall entered the fight having secured first-round finishes in seven of his eight UFC victories, but he was unable to establish dominance over Gane.
Gane employed leg kicks and swift combinations while maintaining distance from Aspinall’s striking range through adept footwork.
Prior to the eye poke, Aspinall appeared to have sustained greater damage, with blood flowing from his nose.
Aspinall is considered by many to be the future of the heavyweight division, but the wait to see his potential remains.
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‘Only Aspinall knows what happened’ – Dana White on eye poke
In the post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White stated that Aspinall “didn’t want to continue” after the eye poke.
He then suggested a rematch between the two fighters, which he anticipates will generate heightened interest due to Gane’s performance.
“It’s unfortunate it ended the way it did and I think there will be a lot more interest in the rematch,” he said.
“Gane had Tom bloodied up and Tom didn’t want to continue in the fight. So a rematch is very interesting.”
Replays showed Gane’s fingers penetrating deeply into both of Aspinall’s eyes, with the British fighter displaying visible distress.
Aspinall’s frustration following the bout further underscores his disappointment in the abrupt conclusion, as he reiterated to the referee his inability to see.
“I can’t make people fight. You definitely can’t make somebody continue if they feel they’ve been injured,” White added when asked about whether the fight could continue.
“Only Tom knows hat happened. Could he see? Could he continue? Only he knows that.”
Aspinall was making the first defence of his title since being upgraded to undisputed champion
With the main events for UFC 323 already being announced, Aspinall could target a spot on the UFC 324 card in January.
Aspinall is no stranger to setbacks having seriously injured his knee in the first round in defeat by Curtis Blaydes in 2022.
But he will take heart from the fact he bounced back following a year out injured, in the best form of his life, winning his next three fights in the first round.
For Aspinall and the heavyweight division it is the latest blow after years of stagnation, with only four undisputed title fights taking place in almost four years.
In the co-main event in Abu Dhabi, Brazilian-American Mackenzie Dern beat Brazil’s Virna Jandiroba by unanimous decision to win the strawweight belt and her maiden UFC title.
Earlier on the card, Britain’s Nathaniel Wood earned his third straight win with a closely fought unanimous-decision win over American featherweight Jose Delgado.
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‘I’ve got that dog in me’ – Wood on win over Delgado
Main Card:
Tom Aspinall v Ciryl Gane no-contest – accidental eye poke, round one (4:35)
Mackenzie Dern def. Virna Jandiroba – unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47 & 49-46)
Umar Nurmagomedov def. Mario Bautista – unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27 & 30-27)
Alexander Volkov def. Jailton Almeida – split decision (29-28, 29-28 & 28-29)
Azamat Murzakanov def. Aleksandar Rakic – TKO, round one
Preliminary Card:
Nathaniel Wood def. Jose Miguel Delgado – unanimous decision (29-28, 29-28 & 29-28)
Valter Walker def. Louie Sutherland – submission heel hook, round one
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