TLDR
- Tom Aspinall diagnosed with rare Brown’s syndrome after eye poke by Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 in October
- Medical report shows Aspinall suffers from double vision, reduced eye motility, visual function and field loss
- UFC 321 heavyweight title fight ended in no contest after four minutes when Aspinall couldn’t continue
- Dana White suggests UFC may introduce harder penalties for eye pokes including point deductions or disqualification
- Aspinall not cleared to return to training and wants rematch with Gane when fully recovered
Tom Aspinall Diagnosed With Brown’s Syndrome After UFC 321 Eye Poke Injury
UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has been diagnosed with Brown’s syndrome following an eye poke incident during his title defense against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi. The fight ended in a no contest after four minutes when Aspinall could not continue.
The incident occurred in October when Gane’s fingers raked across Aspinall’s eyes during an exchange. After a five-minute timeout, the referee waved off the fight. Aspinall was taken to the hospital immediately after the bout.
Aspinall shared a medical report on Instagram detailing his condition. The report states he suffers from double vision, reduced eye motility, visual function and substantial field loss. Brown’s syndrome is a rare condition that prevents the eye from moving upward, particularly when looking inward.
The medical report indicated Aspinall may need steroid injections or surgical intervention. These treatments would be necessary if his symptoms don’t improve on their own. Aspinall said he is following doctor’s orders and not training at the moment.
The 32-year-old British fighter has been in and out of hospitals having various tests. He has consulted with specialists, surgeons and doctors about his condition. More than a month after the injury, Aspinall remains unable to return to action.
Aspinall Defends Decision to Stop Fighting
Dana White commented at the UFC 321 post-fight press conference that Aspinall “didn’t want” to continue. White stated he cannot make fighters continue if they feel injured. He said only Aspinall knows whether he could see or continue.
Aspinall responded to White’s comments in a YouTube video. He said he refused to continue because he is not a dummy. He explained he wouldn’t fight one of the world’s best strikers without being able to see.
Aspinall referenced his previous fight with Andrei Arlovski as an example. In that bout, he took a punch to the eye at the end of the first round. He fought the rest of that fight with compromised vision in one eye because it was a legal strike.
The champion said fighting through legal damage is expected. However, he argued fighters shouldn’t risk their health after an illegal foul. Aspinall stated he had no vision in either eye following the double eye poke.
Gane said he didn’t poke Aspinall on purpose. The French fighter referenced his own experience with an eye poke against Derrick Lewis. Gane said he saw double for a full round after that incident.
UFC Considers Stricter Penalties for Eye Pokes
White addressed the issue of eye pokes on the Triggernometry podcast. He said the UFC has tried different glove designs to prevent eye pokes. The promotion is now considering harder penalties for fighters who commit fouls.
White suggested multiple point deductions or disqualification for persistent eye pokes. He said stricter consequences would make fighters more conscious of their hand positioning. The UFC boss noted eye pokes don’t happen as frequently as some believe.
White explained eye pokes often occur when fighters extend their fingers while blocking. They can also happen when one fighter reaches out while the opponent moves forward. He estimated there have been around 100 eye pokes over thousands of UFC fights.
Aspinall wants to rematch Gane when his eye heals completely. He said he needs to be 100 percent healthy before returning to the octagon. The rematch timeline depends on his recovery from the eye injury.
