The heavyweight division appeared set to enter a new era following the retirement of Jon Jones and the promotion of Tom Aspinall to undisputed champion. But what was meant to be Aspinall’s triumphant return after a 14-month layoff instead ended in controversy at UFC 321. Headlining the card in Abu Dhabi, Aspinall was scheduled to defend his heavyweight title against Ciryl Gane.
However, the bout came to a sudden and shocking halt late in the opening round. At the 4:35 mark of Round 1, an accidental double eye poke from Gane left the champion unable to see, forcing referee Jason Herzog to step in and wave off the fight as a no-contest. Despite being given nearly four minutes to recover and undergoing examinations from two cageside doctors, Aspinall made it clear that his vision was compromised and he could not continue.
As a result, the fight was officially ruled a no-contest, with the Englishman retaining his title in unfortunate fashion. The aftermath raised further concern as Aspinall was later diagnosed with bilateral traumatic Brown’s syndrome and has since undergone double eye surgery, leaving the timeline for his return uncertain.
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Like much of the MMA world, veteran commentator Joe Rogan did not hide his disappointment over the anticlimactic ending, having hoped to see a definitive conclusion to one of the heavyweight division’s most intriguing matchups. With Aspinall rarely fighting beyond the opening round, Rogan was particularly interested in seeing how the Brit would fare in deeper waters.
Speaking on segment #176 of his JRE MMA Show, Rogan said, “It is a crime in the sport that the fight with Aspinall got stopped the way it did, that he [Ciryl Gane] eye poked him.”
Rogan pointed out that the fight had already begun to take a fascinating turn before the stoppage, noting that Aspinall appeared to be struggling in the early exchanges and had even suffered a bloody nose.
He said, “It’s a crime, because that fight was playing out in a very interesting direction, because Aspinall was having a really hard time touching that guy. He was getting busted up. He was getting touched up a lot. Ciryl’s jab is legit.”
The longtime UFC voice also questioned how often Aspinall has been tested beyond the first round, given his high finish rate and relatively short average fight time. He asked, “How many times has he even been in the second round? My thought was, the real problem that Aspinall was going to present is in the grappling. He’s a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt, he’s a big f*cker, he’s fast, he’s got a power double.”
‼️👀 Joe Rogan says the stoppage in Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane was a crime
“It is a crime that that fight with Aspinall got stopped the way it did. It’s a crime. That fight was playing out in a very interesting direction because Aspinall was having a really hard time touching… pic.twitter.com/3NFSYRik1i
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) March 17, 2026
Like many fans, Rogan was eager to see how the contest would unfold, especially as Gane appeared to have found early success against the champion’s striking. He concluded with, “He explodes, but when he was standing there with Ciryl Gane, this was the first time that he was ever in front of a guy who was agile and quick and very technical. Ciryl Gane was doing a lot of sneaky shit.”
With Aspinall currently sidelined after undergoing double eye surgery, Gane is now set to face former light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira for the interim heavyweight title in the co-main event of UFC Freedom 250 on June 14 at the White House. Meanwhile, with Aspinall now under the management of Eddie Hearn, questions remain over when fans will see the undisputed heavyweight champion return to the Octagon.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.