The events of UFC 321 left Ciryl Gane in a state of discontent, a far cry from the triumphant feeling he sought. The former interim heavyweight champion’s attempt to capture the undisputed UFC title for the third time concluded without a definitive result. The Saturday night fight was declared a no-contest due to an inadvertent double eye-poke delivered to Tom Aspinall, prematurely halting their highly anticipated match.
Gane found the situation difficult to accept, particularly because he believed he had performed well early in the bout, likely securing a victory in the initial round.
“I believe the match began positively,” Gane stated during the post-fight press briefing for UFC 321, “since everyone is aware of my reliance on jabs, and he started aggressively to catch his opponent off guard. While defending the takedown, I managed to strike him, drawing blood from his nose, making it a successful opening round.
“That’s why I was a little bit disappointed, a little bit sad.”
The contest was only beginning to unfold when the unfortunate sequence that led to its end occurred. Following repeated assurances to medical staff that his vision was impaired due to the serious foul, Aspinall was deemed unable to continue. This decision was met with jeers from the audience and obvious frustration from both fighters in the ring.
The emotions of the situation were intense, with Gane visibly dropping to his knees as the fight concluded.
Ciryl Gane hasn’t been able to catch a break in undisputed UFC title fights.
(GIUSEPPE CACACE via Getty Images)
“I genuinely desired to proceed with the match,” Gane expressed. “My initial reaction was intense frustration because I did not want the fight to be stopped. Following that, I felt disappointment and sadness, which then led to me feeling apologetic towards the audience.”
UFC CEO Dana White commented post-match that Aspinall was taken to a medical facility due to the eye-pokes.
Regarding the occurrence itself, Gane insisted that the infractions that brought the competition to a standstill were not intentional.
“My actions were unintentional,” he explained, “and I am familiar with the sensation of receiving an eye-poke, as I experienced it during my match against Derrick Lewis [in 2021], which resulted in me seeing double for an entire round. Therefore, I understand the experience. I would never suggest that he is being dishonest.’”
In spite of the unsatisfactory conclusion, the emerging competitive dynamic between Gane and Aspinall is far from resolved. White verified after the fight that plans are in motion for a rematch between the two prominent heavyweight contenders in the near future.
Gane conveyed his intentions to take a break, spend time with his family, and then await confirmation to begin preparations for another encounter with Aspinall.
