Tom Aspinall Hospitalized After Eye Injury Halts UFC Title Defense
Britain’s heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall was rushed to hospital on Saturday evening following a devastating double eye poke that brought his title defence to an abrupt halt, reports BritPanorama.
The Wigan fighter’s bout against French challenger Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi ended in a no contest after an accidental foul left him unable to see. Medical staff immediately attended to the 32-year-old champion before transporting him for emergency treatment.
The incident occurred during the opening round of what had promised to be an explosive encounter at the Etihad Arena, marking Aspinall’s first defence of the undisputed heavyweight crown he inherited following Jon Jones’s retirement. The competitive bout had been building momentum when disaster struck with approximately thirty seconds left in the first round.
Gane’s fingers inadvertently penetrated both of Aspinall’s eyes during what appeared to be an open-handed strike attempt. The British fighter immediately signalled his distress, telling the cageside physician that his opponent’s finger had gone “knuckle deep” into his eyeball. Despite initial medical assessments, Aspinall’s admission that he couldn’t see from his right eye led referee Jason Herzog to wave off the contest.
The stoppage came after Aspinall had already sustained a bloodied nose during the closely-fought opening exchanges, with Gane having established early success through jabs and leg kicks. Aspinall’s fury erupted during his post-fight interview with Daniel Cormier as he reacted to the hostile crowd response.
“Guys, I just got poked f***ing knuckle deep in the eyeball,” Aspinall declared. “What the f***? Why are you booing? What am I supposed to do about it? I didn’t do the f***ing poke. I can’t see!” His frustration continued as he described the severity of his injuries: “This is bulls***! The fight was just getting going. Complete bulls***. I’m p***ed off. I can hardly open my eye. Look, it was a f***ing double poke in both eyeballs.”
Following these explosive comments, Aspinall was swiftly escorted backstage for immediate hospital transport. UFC president Dana White later confirmed Aspinall’s hospitalization during the post-fight press conference, describing the entire situation as “a total pain in the a**.” White indicated that a rematch would be arranged for next year, acknowledging that the contest had been developing into a potential “barn burner” before its premature conclusion.
Gane expressed immediate remorse for the accidental infringement, stating: “I’m very sorry about that. I’m sorry for Aspinall, sorry for myself.” The result maintains Aspinall’s grip on the heavyweight championship, whilst leaving questions about the division’s immediate future unresolved, particularly given Gane’s third unsuccessful attempt at capturing undisputed gold.
In a sport where fraction moments dictate outcomes, this incident serves as a visceral reminder of its unpredictability and the fine line between victory and disaster.
