Tom Aspinall Next Fight: What Comes After No Contest vs. Ciryl Gane at UFC 321?

Tom Aspinall successfully retained his title against Ciryl Gane, but the result was something nobody liked. Everyone had waited long for the heavyweight champ’s long-awaited return since the fight card announcement, but it crumbled spectacularly in a no-contest. 

An accidental double eye poke resulted in an official timeout at 4:35 in the first round of the main event. What should’ve been Aspinall’s coronation became a nightmare. The Brit waited 15 months for this moment only to have it snatched away by extended fingers.

What’s Next for Tom Aspinall Following UFC 321’s Controversial Ending

Aspinall repeatedly said he couldn’t see, ending the bout in a no contest after referee Jason Herzog gave him every chance to recover. The champion was properly rattled. “I just got poked knuckle-deep in the eyeball,” he said.

He even asked fans why they were booing him because he had no intention to end the fight in that dirty fashion. Gane also said sorry to his fans for the awkward ending. 

White confirmed that the heavyweight champion was transported to the hospital following his UFC 321 underwhelming finish. The champ’s eye needed proper assessment, and his vision remains the priority now.

As for what’s next, Aspinall has options. His first choice would be Jon Jones, but Jones has avoided that fight for months. Following his short retirement, he is now going through a tough time to make White consider him. So, with Jones waiting for the White House card, that matchup is on hold.

Alex Pereira moving up to heavyweight changes the picture. Since White dismissed Pereira’s callout of Jones, Aspinall could get that fight instead. A win there could finally set up the long-awaited Jones clash.

Alexander Volkov also entered the mix after his dominant win over Jailton Almeida. Aspinall said before UFC 321 that he’d take that rematch if Volkov won and he did. It’s a logical next fight if bigger names aren’t available.

Another option is No. 9 contender Ante Delija. It’s not quite a sexy choice, but it keeps Aspinall active while the division sorts itself out.

Dana White Confirms Tom Aspinall-Ciryl Gane Rematch

During the media availability, White broke tradition and declared that Aspinall vs. Gane would have an immediate rematch. The UFC boss rarely books fights at press conferences, but this time made a real exception here.

“Great showing, s***y ending, you know? I think that after the Jones fight, a lot of people wrote Ciryl Gane off — he looked damn good tonight,” said the UFC boss about the underwhelming main event finish. 

🚨👀Dana Whote was asked about rebooking Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane fight:

“Total pain in the ass, but YES.”

(via. @ufc) pic.twitter.com/dFzE7qO9oH

— Home of Fight (@Home_of_Fight) October 25, 2025

When asked directly about booking again, he replied, “Total pain in the a**, but yeah.” 

He added, “It’s unfortunate it ended the way it did and yes, I think there probably will be a lot more interest in the rematch after they say, you know, [Gane] had Tom bloodied up and Tom didn’t want to continue in the fight.”

Aspinall keeps the belt for now, but the no-contest hit his momentum hard. Meanwhile, Gane surprisingly exceeded everyone’s expectations since he was not fragile on the mat, something many thought before the bout. “After the Jon Jones fight, a lot of people wrote Ciryl Gane off. He looked damn good tonight,” White said of Gane.

Once Aspinall’s cleared medically, they run it back for sure, and the heavyweight title picture finally gets some clarity. Just not the kind anyone wanted.