UFC 321: Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane Ends in a Lacklustre No Contest Decision
Tom Aspinall's first heavyweight title defence against Ciryl Gane on the UFC 321 card ended in a lacklustre manner after a double eye poke, which the judges ruled as a no-contest. The incident occurred in the very first round of the fight, putting an early and unsatisfactory end to the highly anticipated match-up.
Tom Aspinall faced Ciryl Gane on the main event of the UFC 321 card, which took place at the Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, UAE. The fight was a highly anticipated heavyweight matchup and was expected to be an exciting show of skill.
However, after an aggressive start to the first round by both fighters, Tom Aspinall suffered a double eye poke by Gane, which left him unable to fight. Referee Jason Herzog deemed the foul to be an accident, leading to a no-contest end to the bout at 4 minutes 35 seconds of the first round.
Aspinall retains his UFC heavyweight title and is expected to do a rematch with the French MMA fighter in early 2026.
After the lacklustre end to the fight, the crowd started booing the fighters. Responding to this negative response, Tom Aspinall complained about being eye poked and questioned the crowd's reaction. Daniel Cormier, the interviewer for UFC 321, agreed with Aspinall's sentiment and further questioned him about the state of the injury.
Cyril Gane apologised to Aspinall and the UFC fans for his accidental eye poke that put an early end to the match. During his Octagon interview with Daniel Cormier, he expressed his uncertainty about his rematch with the English fighter, saying, "I don't know what gonna happen for the future, I don't know yet. But we will see."
UFC President Dana White described the fight as "Great Showing, Shitty Ending." He praised Ciryl Gane for his performance leading up to the accidental foul and shared his excitement for the fight. He confirmed that he will rebook the fighters for a rematch as soon as Aspinall is ready to fight.
When asked about eye pokes and what he thinks of them, White said that he believes that they are part of the sport and can't be eliminated regardless of what anyone does.
Tom Aspinall and Cyril Ganeweres were promoted as headliners for the UFC 321 card, which took place at the Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi, UAE. Excitement for the fight was high all week with both heavyweights returning to the cage after nearly a year.
Aspinall last stepped into the Octagon in July 2024 against Curtis Blaydes to defend his interim heavyweight championship belt. Gane, on the other hand, last fought against Alexander Volkov in December 2024.
Fans are disappointed with the no-contest ruling in the fight and are actively sharing their reactions online.
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