Tom Aspinall was swiftly hospitalized following his bout with Ciryl Gane, which was declared a no contest due to an accidental eye-poke incident. Earlier this year, Aspinall was promoted to undisputed champion after Jon Jones’ unexpected retirement. His last fight before UFC 321 was in July 2024, where he successfully defended his interim title against Curtis Blaydes in Manchester.
Keen to get back in the octagon, Aspinall eagerly accepted a fight with Gane to make up for lost time. Gane, a seasoned fighter in undisputed title matches, had previously fallen short in two title attempts. However, during their highly anticipated main event in Abu Dhabi, disaster struck in the first round when Aspinall suffered accidental eye pokes from Gane, leading to the fight being called off and Aspinall being rushed to the hospital.
Known for his explosive style, Aspinall faced early aggression from Gane, who landed significant strikes before the eye-poke incident. The referee, Jason Herzog, halted the fight to allow Aspinall time to recover after he expressed vision impairment. The bout was ultimately declared a ‘no contest,’ with Aspinall voicing frustration over the situation post-fight.
Gane, apologizing for the outcome, expressed disappointment over the fight’s premature end and its impact on their future. UFC President Dana White confirmed plans to rebook the heavyweight showdown, despite the setback at UFC 321.
