Tom Aspinall retained his UFC heavyweight championship at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi on October 25, but not in the manner anyone anticipated. The British fighter’s first undisputed title defense ended in disappointment after an accidental double eye poke from challenger Ciryl Gane left Aspinall unable to continue, resulting in a no-contest ruling at 4:35 of the first round.

Chael Sonnen Defends Tom Aspinall Against Fan Criticism Following UFC 321 Eye Poke Incident

​The aftermath of the bout sparked intense debate within the MMA community, with some fans and fighters questioning Aspinall’s decision to stop fighting. Critics labeled the 32-year-old champion a quitter and suggested he sought an exit from a difficult situation. However, former UFC middleweight contender Chael Sonnen came to Aspinall’s defense during an interview on The Ariel Helwani Show, expressing frustration with how the British fighter has been portrayed.

​”I am very upset that it seems as though Tom is being labeled a coward, a quitter, heartless, gutless because he had a bloody nose and maybe was about to lose the first round. People say he wanted a way out and I don’t think that’s fair to Tom. Tom did nothing wrong. Ciryl caused the action. The no contest is a copout. The referee did a great job, but there’s no room for incidental or accidental when it was a double violation. Ciryl poked Tom twice. Now we don’t get resolution, and Ciryl, who did the bad act, has another world title fight to look forward to.”

Sonnen’s comments marked a clarification of his initial post-fight analysis on ESPN, where he and fellow analyst Anthony Smith suggested Aspinall should have continued fighting despite impaired vision. Those remarks drew significant backlash from the MMA community and fellow fighters.

During the Helwani Show interview, Sonnen acknowledged that his frustration about the fight’s conclusion may have been misdirected. He emphasized that Aspinall committed no wrongdoing and was the victim of an illegal foul. The former title challenger also criticized the no-contest ruling, arguing that distinguishing between intentional and unintentional fouls creates a problematic loophole in the sport’s rulebook.

The incident occurred late in the first round as both fighters exchanged strikes. Gane had been finding success with his jab, causing Aspinall’s nose to bleed, while the champion landed several kicks to the body and legs. With approximately 45 seconds remaining in the round, Gane’s outstretched fingers caught Aspinall in both eyes simultaneously. The severity of the poke became evident through slow-motion replays, which showed Gane’s finger penetrating knuckle-deep into Aspinall’s left eye, though the right eye ultimately suffered more damage.

Referee Jason Herzog immediately halted the action and called in the cageside physician. Aspinall repeatedly told medical personnel he could not see from his right eye. After receiving the allotted five-minute recovery period, Aspinall remained unable to continue, leaving Herzog no choice but to declare the bout a no-contest. The crowd at Etihad Arena responded with boos, prompting a frustrated Aspinall to defend himself in an expletive-laden post-fight interview with commentator Daniel Cormier.

Following the fight, Aspinall was transported to a hospital in Abu Dhabi for immediate evaluation. A physician confirmed no structural damage to the eye but advised Aspinall to undergo follow-up examinations. The champion returned to England for additional testing, where he consulted with an eye specialist in Manchester on October 28.

According to updates provided by Aspinall’s father and coach, Andy Aspinall, the heavyweight champion still could not see from his right eye three days after the incident. Andy described his son’s right eye vision as appearing “grey,” while the left eye was functioning at approximately 50 percent capacity. Doctors scheduled a CT scan to examine potential bone damage, though they believed the skeletal structure remained intact.

ABU DHABI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES – OCTOBER 25: (R-L) Ciryl Gane of France punches Tom Aspinall of England in the UFC heavyweight championship fight during the UFC 321 event at Etihad Arena on October 25, 2025 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC)

UFC president Dana White confirmed during the post-fight press conference that an immediate rematch would be scheduled as soon as Aspinall recovers from his eye injury. White acknowledged the disappointing ending but expressed increased interest in the rematch after witnessing Gane’s performance in the opening round. White also made controversial comments suggesting Aspinall “didn’t want to continue in the fight,” which drew criticism from fans and media members who accused the promoter of disrespecting his own champion.​​

The incident added another unfortunate chapter to Aspinall’s championship journey. The British fighter had waited more than 14 months to compete at UFC 321, initially hoping to unify his interim title against then-champion Jon Jones. After Jones announced his retirement in June 2025, Aspinall was promoted to undisputed champion but faced continued criticism from Jones supporters, who mocked the eye poke incident on social media.​​