Tom Aspinall HEATED after eye poke from Ciryl Gane ends UFC 321

An accidental eye poke from Ciryl Gane ended Tom Aspinall’s first title defense after he was unable to continue.

Tom Aspinall’s reign as the UFC’s undisputed heavyweight champion got off to a catastrophic start, as his first title defense ended in a no-contest at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi.

Aspinall (15-3) was unable to continue after title challenger Ciryl Gane (13-2) accidentally poked both eyes during an exchange in the first round. Aspinall was provided five minutes to recover, but referee Jason Herzog had no choice but to stop the bout once the defending champion said he couldn’t see.

It’s the first time a UFC title fight has ended in a no-contest due to an accidental foul.

Below is a video of the accidental eye poke on Tom Aspinall.

Tom Aspinall Eye Poke

Tom Aspinall is heated due to the no contest due to an eye poke against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321

The crowd in Abu Dhabi was aggressively booing the two fighters.

Post fight, Tom Aspinall let the crowd know, “This is bulls—, the fight was just getting going,” Aspinall said. “Complete bulls—. I’m pissed off. I can hardly open my eye.” Aspinall was immediately transported to the hospital post-fight.

In the post UFC 321 press conference, Dana White says the goal is to book an immediate rematch between Aspinall and Gane. The heavyweight division is surprisingly light on legitimate title contenders, despite Jones’s inactivity as a champion and subsequent decision to retire.

UFC 321 Main card, Results

Tom Aspinall (c) vs. Ciryl Gane ends in no contest after an unintentional eye poke
Mackenzie Dern (c) def. Virna Jandiroba via unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46)
Umar Nurmagomedov def. Mario Bautista via unanimous decision (30-27, 30-27, 30-27)
Alexander Volkov def. Jailton Almeida via split decision (29-28, 28-29, 29-28)
Azamat Murzakanov def. Aleksandar Rakic via first-round TKO (punches)