TLDR
- Ciryl Gane’s UFC 321 heavyweight title fight against Tom Aspinall ended in a No Contest after an accidental eye poke in the first round
- Gane was performing well early, defending takedowns and bloodying Aspinall’s nose before the eye poke occurred with 30 seconds left in round one
- Aspinall could not continue after the eye poke, leading to boos from some fans who questioned his decision
- Gane said the poke was unintentional and refused to criticize Aspinall, citing his own experience with eye pokes against Derrick Lewis
- UFC CEO Dana White said the promotion will rebook the fight as soon as possible
Ciryl Gane challenged Tom Aspinall for the UFC heavyweight championship at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday. The fight ended in a No Contest after an accidental eye poke left Aspinall unable to continue.
Gane started the first round strong. He defended Aspinall’s takedown attempts and landed counter strikes that bloodied the champion’s nose.
The French fighter was finding success with his strategy. He knew Aspinall typically starts fights aggressively to surprise opponents.
With about 30 seconds remaining in the opening round, Gane accidentally poked Aspinall in the eye. The eye poke was severe enough that the British fighter could not continue.
Officials ruled the bout a No Contest. Neither fighter received a win or loss on their record.
Some fans at the event booed Aspinall during his post-fight interview. They questioned whether the champion quit intentionally.
Gane defended Aspinall at the post-fight press conference. He said he understood the severity of eye pokes from personal experience.
Ciryl Gane really dug his fingers deep in Tom Aspinall's eyes.
What the F$ck #UFC321 pic.twitter.com/Move3Cm8Gd
— GordXRohit (@gordx_ux) October 25, 2025
Gane’s Previous Eye Poke Experience
The challenger recalled his fight against Derrick Lewis. Gane suffered an eye poke in that bout and saw two versions of Lewis for an entire round.
“I didn’t do it on purpose,” Gane said. “I know what it is to have an eye poke. So I’m not going to say, ‘Yeah, he’s a liar.'”
Gane expressed disappointment with the outcome. He felt he was performing well and starting to understand the flow of the fight.
The French fighter was ready to showcase his striking creativity. He had prepared for all aspects of the fight including wrestling and grappling.
What Comes Next
UFC CEO Dana White addressed the situation after the event. He said the promotion will work to rebook the fight as quickly as possible.
Gane plans to spend time with his wife and children first. He will then discuss timing for the rematch with his coach.
The fighter said he thought the first round was going great. That made the ending more disappointing for him.
Gane refused to join critics who blamed Aspinall. He simply called it part of the sport.
The rematch will give both fighters a chance to settle the championship question. Gane was confident he would have won before the eye poke stopped the action.