In an unexpected turn of events, the much-anticipated return of the UFC to Abu Dhabi ended in chaos on Saturday night. The spotlight was on Tom Aspinall as he faced off against Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC 321, marking Aspinall's first defense of his undisputed heavyweight title. Fans were buzzing with excitement, but the night took a disastrous twist right from the opening round.
The fight quickly shifted from thrilling to troubling when Gane unintentionally landed a double eye poke on Aspinall. After several tense minutes spent attempting to recover, Aspinall informed the ringside doctor and referee that he was unable to see out of one eye. Consequently, the fight was ruled a no contest, leaving fans and fighters alike in disbelief.
Following the fight, it was evident that Aspinall was in distress and eager to exit the Octagon for proper medical attention. Despite his clear discomfort, the UFC insisted on conducting an interview with him, during which he struggled to see due to his injury. The atmosphere soured further when the crowd began to boo Aspinall, prompting him to express his frustration and criticize their reaction before leaving the cage.
The situation escalated during the post-fight press conference when UFC president Dana White made a controversial remark suggesting that Aspinall "didn't want to fight." This statement stirred discontent among fans, leading many to speculate that White was upset with the heavyweight champion. Adding to the drama, Aspinall was later transported to the hospital due to the severity of his injury, further intensifying the scrutiny surrounding the incident.
UFC legend Chael Sonnen weighed in on the matter, suggesting that while being poked in the eye is indeed illegal, fighting with one eye is not uncommon in the sport. “In all fairness, if you’re the heavyweight champion of the world, you’ve got to fight with one eye at times,” Sonnen remarked on the ESPN post-fight show. He emphasized that while injuries deserve consideration, fighters often have to push through minor setbacks like an eye poke.
Despite the unfortunate circumstances of UFC 321, the performance of Gane did not go unnoticed. He started the fight strong, even drawing blood from Aspinall's nose, which could have given him a confidence boost going into the later rounds. As discussions continue, there are calls for a rematch, and it remains to be seen how the UFC will navigate this controversy moving forward.
