Tom Aspinall's first fight as heavyweight champion in controversy after the fight was deemed a no contest when the Brit was pocked in both eyes by Ciryl Gane.
It has been a tough year for the top British star - who was last seen back in July 2024 when he needed just over a minute to exact his revenge and render rival Curtis Blaydes unconscious.
In the months that followed, Aspinall was destined to go head-to-head with Jon Jones in a unification bout. Following Jones’ dominant victory over Stipe Miocic last November, the UFC legend hinted at one final fight inside the Octagon. However, he failed to publicly commit to fighting Aspinll before eventually announcing his retirement from the sport back in June.
The Brit was eventually promoted to undisputed champion and was eager to make up for lost time. Gane was without a shadow of a doubt set to be Aspinall’s toughest test on paper, but disaster struck deep into the first round after referee Jason Herzog was forced to wave off proceedings due to an eye poke that was deemed unintentional, meaning Aspinall retains his title.
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Ahead of UFC 321, critics wondered whether the Frenchman’s showdown with Aspinall would be his last shot at the 265lb strap. Gane was handed the opportunity following his contentious victory over Alexander Volkov last December, but has previously failed two attempts at the undisputed prize.
Aspinall marched to the cage as he was eager to make a statement and put on a show in front of the UFC faithful. Gane - on the other hand - seemed a tad nervous and made a slight error during his walk to the Octagon after the commentary team revealed the dangerous knockout artist had forgotten his cup. Nevertheless, the issue was addressed and the fight eventually got underway,
Surprisingly, it was the Frenchman who came out swinging for the bleachers - very light and quick on his feet. 'Bon Gamin' relied on his quick jab and kicks to Aspinall's lead leg early on in an attempt to slow down the Wigan warrior. After a sharp exchange from both men, some blood started to trickle down the nose of the champion. The heavyweight king was clearly uneasy having absorbed several jabs.
Gane stuffed a takedown attempt midway through the round, and was starting to find a bit of momentum before tragedy struck after Gane accidentally poked Aspinall in his eyes with an outstretched hand. The referee immediately called for a halt in the action and allowed the Brit five minutes to recover as a result of the 'unintentional' foul. Things started taking a turn for the worse when Aspinall was heard telling the cage side physician: "His f***ing finger was right in my eyeball mate," while also complaining that he couldn't see.
“Guys I just got f***ing poked knuckle deep in the eyeball. Why are you booing? What am I supposed to do about it? I didn’t do the f***ing poke. I can’t see. This is bulls***. The fight was just getting going. Complete bulls***. I’m p***** off," a frustrated Aspinall said post-fight.
"I'm very sorry about that, for the crowd, for the fans, for everybody. Sorry for Tom Aspinall, sorry for myself," said Gane. In a separate post-fight interview, the French heavyweight fighter said: "I'm a bit disappointed with the outcome of the fight... also because of the way the fight was going, because of the future."
Aspinall has since been transported to hospital following his heavyweight showdown with Gane in Abu Dhabi. Immediately after conclusion of UFC 321, UFC boss Dana White told reporters at the post-fight press conference that the UFC will rebook the heavyweight clash. “A total pain in the a**, but yes [I’d like to do the rematch]," he said.
In the co-main event, Mackenzie Dern realised her dream after being crowned the new undisputed women's strawweight champion after a bloody battle with Virna Jandiroba. The pair traded leather for 25 minutes, before Dern was given the nod via unanimous decision. Elsewhere on the main card, Umar Nurmagomedov got back to winning ways after he defeated Mario Bautista, while Alexander Volkov beat Jailton Almeida via split decision. The main card was kicked off by a light-heavyweight showdown between Aleksandar Rakic and Azamat Murzakanov, and it was the latter who went on to score a destructive first round knockout victory.