UFC CEO Dana White has reacted to the controversial ending of Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane at UFC 321, a heavyweight title fight that ended in a disappointing no-contest after an accidental double eye poke left Aspinall unable to continue.
The main event in Abu Dhabi was supposed to be Aspinall’s first title defense, but the action came to a screeching halt just minutes into the first round. Gane found early success on the feet, landing clean shots that busted Aspinall’s nose before his fingers accidentally caught both of the champion’s eyes. Visibly frustrated, Aspinall told the referee he couldn’t see, leading the doctor to stop the fight.
In the aftermath, the British heavyweight faced boos from sections of the crowd and online criticism suggesting he didn’t want to continue. However, Dana White made it clear at the post-fight press conference that only Aspinall knew the true extent of his injury.
“I feel the way everybody feels. Great showing, shitty ending,” White said. “I can’t make people fight. You definitely can’t make somebody continue if they feel they’ve been injured. Only Tom knows what happened — could he see,could he not see? Only he knows that.”
White revealed that Aspinall was immediately transported to a local hospital after the fight and confirmed the champion suffered no serious damage beyond the eye injury. He admitted the abrupt ending was disappointing but said there’s only one logical next step.
“Total pain in the ass, but yes, we’ll book the rematch,” White said. “They’re both in shape, other than whatever’s wrong with Tom’s eye. Both guys are not injured, so as soon as possible.”
Despite the anticlimactic finish, White praised Gane’s performance, noting that many fans had underestimated the Frenchman after his 2023 loss to Jon Jones.
“A lot of people wrote Ciryl Gane off after the Jones fight, but he looked damn good tonight,” White said. “It looked like we were in for a few good rounds.”
However, White’s remarks about the fight’s conclusion sparked online speculation. During the press conference, he commented that “Tom didn’t want to continue,” a phrase that some fans interpreted as shade toward the British champion.
CBS Sports reporter Shakiel Mahjouri suggested the comment may have been a subtle response to Aspinall’s father and coach, Andy, who has been openly critical of the UFC and previously hinted that his son might explore boxing opportunities.
Regardless of the online chatter, Dana White insists the UFC is focused on rebooking the fight as soon as possible.
“The rematch is very interesting,” he said. “After what happened, there’s going to be even more hype around it.”
With Aspinall expected to undergo further tests before returning to action, fans are already anticipating a rematch that could settle the unfinished business between the two heavyweight contenders.
