Tom Aspinall was swiftly hospitalized following his bout with Ciryl Gane, which ended in a no contest due to an accidental eye-poke.
The British fighter ascended to the undisputed champion status earlier this year following Jon Jones’ unexpected retirement. Aspinall’s most recent fight before UFC 321 was in July 2024, where he defended his interim title against Curtis Blaydes in Manchester.
Eager to get back in action, Aspinall accepted a fight with Gane to make up for lost time. While Gane, a familiar face in title fights, had his third shot at the gold at UFC 321, having fallen short in his previous attempts.
In what was anticipated to be a thrilling main event in Abu Dhabi, disaster struck in the first round when Aspinall was inadvertently poked in both eyes by Gane. Despite being given a five-minute recovery period, concerns arose when Aspinall admitted to vision issues, leading to the fight being called off and Aspinall rushed to the hospital.
Known for his explosive starts, Aspinall found himself on the receiving end as Gane aggressively attacked in the opening round. The Frenchman landed significant strikes before the eye-poke incident, causing blood to flow from Aspinall’s nose.
After the fight was halted and declared a no contest, Aspinall expressed his frustration over the situation, emphasizing the eye-poke’s impact on the bout. Gane also expressed regret over the fight’s outcome and its implications for the future.
UFC President Dana White confirmed a rematch would be arranged despite the disappointing conclusion of UFC 321.