UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall doesn’t have a clear timeline for his next fight following two eye pokes from Ciryl Gane, which halted their UFC 321 confrontation before it could progress.
Aspinall shared updates regarding his health and the match that took place on October 25 over the weekend. He disclosed in a YouTube video that he currently lacks a schedule for his return, despite UFC CEO Dana White’s desire for a rematch.
“I think right now, we need to focus on the path back to normal and following doctors’ orders,” Aspinall said. The fighter explained his struggles following the injury, stating,
“If you were sidelined from doing your job for 15 months, not allowed to do anything, then train hard for six months for a fight only to suffer two eye pokes and lose sight for nearly six weeks due to illegal moves, how do you think I feel? I’m not feeling fantastic, am I?”
The aftermath of UFC 321 triggered a wave of reactions, with some branding Aspinall a quitter while others labeled Gane a repeat offender of the rules. Aspinall felt the initial eye poke was accidental but later accused Gane of deliberately breaking the rules. He stated,
“When it happened initially, I didn’t think much of it. Looking back at the fight, it was evident that he was trying to poke my eyes throughout the round. The guy was cheating from the get-go.”
Ultimately, the fight was ruled a no-contest after Aspinall was unable to continue at 4:35 of the first round. He firmly believes he made the right choice by not proceeding under the compromised circumstances.
