British fighter Tom Aspinall was swiftly hospitalized following his bout with Ciryl Gane, which was ruled a no contest due to an accidental eye-poke incident. Aspinall, who became the undisputed champion earlier this year after Jon Jones retired, had last competed in July 2024 when he successfully defended his interim title against Curtis Blaydes in Manchester.
Seeking to make a comeback, Aspinall eagerly accepted a fight with Gane, who had previously contested for the undisputed title twice. However, the highly anticipated main event in Abu Dhabi took a dramatic turn when Aspinall was poked in both eyes by Gane during the first round. Despite being given five minutes to recover, Aspinall struggled with his vision, leading to the fight being called off and Aspinall being rushed to the hospital.
Following the incident, UFC president Dana White expressed his intention to reschedule the heavyweight showdown between Aspinall and Gane. Both fighters expressed regret over the fight’s outcome, with Aspinall frustrated by the turn of events and Gane expressing disappointment with the fight’s premature end.
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