Tom Aspinall’s Return Cut Short in No-Contest Against Cyril Gane
Tom Aspinall’s comeback to the Octagon in Abu Dhabi on Saturday didn’t unfold as he had hoped. His fight with Cyril Gane ended abruptly after an accidental eye poke.
In fact, during the first round, Gane hit Aspinall in both eyes, leading to a no-contest in the highly anticipated main event. Aspinall expressed that he couldn’t continue, which prompted a mixed reaction from the crowd and sparked discussion among fans and analysts, including former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen.
Sonnen commented on ESPN’s post-fight show, saying, “It’s illegal to get poked in the eye, but fighting with one eye is common. They’re aiming at your vision, they want to hurt you. There’s a question mark here regarding what a fighter like Anthony should do.” He continued, “You’re the world heavyweight champion, sometimes you have to fight with one eye.”
Video footage clearly showed Gane’s fingers in Aspinall’s eyes, but after the match, Gane was seen with an ice pack on his right eye, and he spoke out in a heated interview with Daniel Cormier.
“Guys, I got poked knuckle-deep in the eyeballs. What, why are you booing? I can’t see! This is ridiculous. The fight has just started, total nonsense,” Aspinall exclaimed. He added, “I could barely open my eyes.”
Sean O’Malley, another fighter, defended Aspinall’s decision to stop, citing the danger of fighting someone as skilled as Gane. He stated, “You just got stabbed in the eye pretty badly and you’re facing a very dangerous kickboxer. It’s tough to fight like that.”
The incident saw Aspinall bloodied, and given it was a title fight, there was a strong desire from both the audience and UFC officials for a definitive conclusion.
Aspinall, 32, hasn’t fought since July 2024, when he achieved a swift win against Curtis Blaydes. Previously, he injured his knee during a match against Blaydes in July 2022 but made a quick comeback that time. Overall, Aspinall’s record stands at 15-3, with 11 knockouts in the UFC, and he has never fought past the third round in his matches.
