You plan for every scenario. You drill. You strategize. You visualize the knockout, the submission, the triumphant moment with gold wrapped around your waist. But nobody prepares for this.
Tom Aspinall’s UFC 321 heavyweight title defense against Ciryl Gane ended in the most gut-wrenching way possible—a no-contest after an accidental eye poke just 4:30 into the opening round. One moment, both fighters were exchanging leather in Abu Dhabi. The next, Aspinall was clutching his right eye, his title reign hanging in limbo.
“Great showing, shitty ending,” Dana White said bluntly at the post-fight presser. That about sums it up.
What Happened In the UFC 321 Main Event?
Gane’s finger found Aspinall’s eye during an exchange, and the champion immediately knew something was wrong. Despite medical attention and several minutes to recover, Aspinall repeatedly told officials he couldn’t see out of his injured eye. The referee had no choice but to wave it off.
This marked the first time in UFC history that an accidental foul resulted in a no-contest for a title fight. Aspinall was transported to a local hospital immediately after, bypassing the post-fight press conference.
The Rematch Nobody Wanted (But Everyone’s Getting)
White confirmed the inevitable: “Total pain in the ass, but yes,” when asked about rebooking the fight. Both fighters are relatively healthy—aside from whatever’s happening with Aspinall’s eye—so expect this rematch sooner rather than later.
Here’s the silver lining: Gane was impressive before the stoppage. He had Aspinall bloodied and was making believers out of fans who’d written him off after his loss to Jon Jones. The rematch odds just got a whole lot tighter.
