Tom Aspinall required immediate hospitalization following his bout with Ciryl Gane, which was declared a no contest due to an accidental eye-poke incident. The British fighter was elevated to the undisputed champion position earlier this year after Jon Jones retired unexpectedly. Aspinall’s most recent fight before UFC 321 occurred in July 2024 when he successfully defended his interim title against Curtis Blaydes in Manchester.
Eager to return to action, Aspinall quickly accepted a fight with Gane, who had previously fallen short in two undisputed title attempts. The highly anticipated main event in Abu Dhabi took a turn for the worse when Aspinall was unintentionally poked in both eyes by his opponent, leading to the fight being stopped as Aspinall struggled with his vision. Aspinall was promptly taken to the hospital for further evaluation.
Known for his aggressive starts, Aspinall faced early pressure from Gane in the first round, with the Frenchman landing significant strikes before the eye-poke incident. Referee Jason Herzog allowed Aspinall a five-minute break to recover, but the fight was ultimately halted and ruled a no contest due to the severity of the eye injury.
Aspinall expressed frustration over the situation, emphasizing the impact of the eye-poke on the fight’s momentum. On the other hand, Gane apologized for the outcome and expressed disappointment over the fight’s premature end. UFC President Dana White confirmed plans to reschedule the heavyweight showdown, despite the unfortunate turn of events at UFC 321.
