Tom Aspinall retains heavyweight title after Ciryl Ganes accidently pokes him in both eyes at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi.
Published On 26 Oct 2025
Champion Tom Aspinall and top-ranked Ciryl Gane could not make it through the opening round of their heavyweight main event at UFC 321 inside Etihad Arena before the match was ruled a no-contest.
Aspinall (15-3-0) and Gane (13-2-0) both came out with a lot of energy until an accidental double eye poke prompted an official timeout at the 4: 35 mark of the first round.
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Aspinall (15-3-0) could not see out of his right eye during the allotted five-minute break, and at 4: 09 into the stoppage, the match was ruled a no-contest.
It was Aspinall’s first defence as the undisputed heavyweight champion.
“What am I supposed to do about it? I can’t see,” said a disappointed Aspinall, speaking in the ring in response to the chorus of boos throughout the arena. “This is [expletive]. The fight was just getting going.”
Gane dropped to his knees, also disappointed, as the ring announcer made the official announcement.
“I’m feeling sorry,” Gane said. “I’m very sorry about that.”
Aspinall was off to a fast start, as the champion wasted no time in throwing heavy shots at Gane.
Known for his elusive footwork, Gane showed no intimidation and stood toe-to-toe while taking command in the centre of the cage.
Gane used a sharp jab to bloody the champ. And when Aspinall took his shot for a takedown, Gane successfully defended it midway through the round. When Aspinall tried to cut off the cage, Gane did a good job of circling out of it while landing jabs and low kicks.
Inside the final minute of the round, Gane continued to out-strike Aspinall until his poke to the eye.
