When Tom Aspinall’s first title defense at UFC 321 on October 25, 2025 ended in a no-contest following a brutal double eye poke from Cyril Gane, the heavyweight champion’s decision to withdraw became the focus of extensive debate. The incident occurred at 4:35 of the first round inside the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, with referee Jason Herzog forced to stop the bout after Aspinall repeatedly told ringside officials that he could not be seen.
Chel Sonnen and Anthony Smith talk about UFC 321
However, former UFC title challengers Chel Sonnen and Anthony Smith were quick to offer comments suggesting the undisputed heavyweight champion should have overcome the injury and continued fighting. Their views sparked considerable backlash from the MMA community, with fans and analysts pushing back as unrealistic expectations for a champion facing a true medical crisis.
On ESPN’s postgame show, Sonnen directly addressed Aspinall’s selection, saying fighting with one eye is standard practice in the sport. “It’s illegal for Brendan to be poked in the eye, but fighting with one eye is common,” Sonnen explained.
“They’re trying to punch you in the eye. They’re trying to crush you and give you a nosebleed. So there’s a question mark in that area for guys like Anthony and me. We try to be civil. We try to show grace, but to be fair, you’re the heavyweight champion of the world. Sometimes you have to fight with one eye.”
Sonnen also suggested that Aspinall was struggling more than expected and may have taken the opportunity to exit the game. “I thought the fight turned out to be a little more difficult than maybe Tom expected,” he continued, pointing to the fact that Aspinall has defeated six opponents in one round during his UFC career.
Anthony Smith echoed this view, recounting his own experience in Singapore when he was poked in the eye during a fight with Ryan Spann. “I’m not saying it’s Tom’s fault, and I’m not pretending to know how bad it is or isn’t,” Smith said.
“I think Chell made the poetic point that you have to be used to fighting with one eye or be willing to fight with one eye. I did that in Singapore. If you want to continue fighting, you can never say ‘I can’t see.'” Smith suggested that he was able to continue competing by staying calm and maintaining careful communication with the referee, and suggested Aspinall could have adopted a similar strategy.
MMA fan reaction
Widespread criticism from fans and analysts refuted both stories. John S. Nash tweeted on social media, “Two guys who have never held a title have a lot of ideas about how a champion should act,” a sentiment that would be echoed across multiple platforms.
A Reddit thread discussing the incident was filled with users defending Aspinall while questioning the credibility of the criticism. One highly upvoted comment highlighted the difference in stakes, pointing out that Aspinall’s status as heavyweight champion meant that an injury would have far greater consequences than what Smith experienced. Commentators noted the severity of the eye injury, saying, “If you get poked hard enough, the eyeball itself could explode,” and questioned whether it was logically correct to compare title defenses to non-title matches.
Another recurring theme in the community’s reaction centered around Dana White’s own comments during the postgame press conference. Asked about the rematch, White said, “Tom didn’t want the fight to continue,” rather than admit that the champion was medically unable to continue. This expression caused considerable anger. One mixed martial arts analyst wrote on social media: “Imagine if your promoter told UFC Heavyweight World Champion Tom Aspinall that he didn’t want to continue the fight, instead of admitting that he couldn’t continue because he was literally poked in the eye and blinded. That’s an insane ‘promotional’ approach.”
The eye poke itself was serious enough to require immediate medical attention. Slow-motion replays showed both of Gehn’s fingers entering Aspinall’s eyes at the same time, with one reportedly penetrating so deep that the middle joint was the first visible part. Aspinall was taken to an Abu Dhabi hospital for evaluation after the fight, but the injury was shown to be serious enough to require a professional medical evaluation beyond cage-side evaluation.
Aspinall’s immediate reaction inside the octagon provided further context to his decision. The irritated champion responded to boos from the crowd and explained his position clearly: “I got knuckled in the back of my eyeball. What should I do? I can’t see,” he said. “This is bull*t. The fight just started. Totally bull*t. I’m pissed. I can barely open my eyes.”
Criticism also extended to perceived inconsistencies in expectations. Multiple community members pointed out that if a top-ranked fighter like Jon Jones or another former champion had faced the same situation, the story might have been told differently. The selective nature of the scrutiny likely influenced how harshly Aspinall was judged compared to other competitors who have faced similar medical situations in recent UFC history.
Cyril Gane, despite being an out-and-out combatant, garnered more sympathy from the community than Aspinall. Gane expressed his sincere disappointment in the result in the post-match press conference, stating that he looked competitive in the early exchanges and felt he was able to execute his game plan effectively. “I think we had a very good kickoff. Everyone knows that I start with the jab and he tries to catch his opponent off guard,” Gane explained. “I blocked the takedown and made contact. I noticed blood coming from his nose, but it was a great first round.”
Dana White gave his opinion in the postgame press conference and tried to balance the situation. “I can’t make people fight, and I definitely can’t make people continue when they feel they’re hurt…Tom didn’t want to continue.”