Tom Aspinall faced Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC 321 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, but the fight ended abruptly when Gane delivered illegal eye pokes that left Aspinall unable to continue. The bout was declared a no contest, sparking debate among fans, analysts, and the MMA community.
Chael Sonnen, longtime analyst and former fighter, initially criticized Aspinall for not continuing despite the injury. After reflecting on the circumstances, Sonnen now acknowledges that Aspinall acted appropriately to protect himself.
Sonnen Reflects on the Fight
“When that fight was over I was mad – I’m still mad,” Sonnen said on his Good Guy/Bad Guy podcast with Daniel Cormier. “As a fan, I’m bothered. In fairness I will admit I don’t know where that energy should go. Tom did nothing wrong. So it seems as though I couldn’t blame Tom. He’s out there doing his fight, something against the rules happens to Tom. I’m not mad at Ciryl in the least, and Ciryl was the one that caused that whole thing. So perhaps I do need to relook at this. And (Jason) Herzog is one of the great referees and I don’t second guess him, but we’ve got two things that we don’t do to each other. You don’t poke him in the eyes, and you don’t bite him. When one of those things are violated it seems a no contest is a very weak thing out.”
Sonnen admitted that his initial reaction was fueled by disappointment with how the fight concluded, not by anything Aspinall did wrong.
The Seriousness of the Injury
Sonnen highlighted that the eye pokes were severe, describing them as a double poke, and expressed skepticism about the no-contest ruling.
“If somebody cheated, you disqualify him. If somebody needs to push through something, you don’t give them the option. I really don’t blame the referee or the call here, but we’ve seen this many times. This was not just a poke, this was a double poke, and whether you think that was unintentional or not, at some point it doesn’t matter anymore. It’s not one, but two done at once. I don’t agree with no contest. I am still angry at no contest. I think very much that fight could’ve continued. I think if we’re being fair, that fight was a lot harder than people thought it was going to be and there was an opportunity to regroup with yourself and try again. All of things happened, and I don’t apologize for saying any of them. Just to be really clear.”
Even with lingering frustration, Sonnen now recognizes that Aspinall’s choice minimized risk to his long-term health.
Sonnen Credits Aspinall
“I do think that was the right decision, I do think that was the smart decision,” Sonnen said. “Tom’s got one thing to do, which is to leave that arena with the title that he brought into that arena.”
Sonnen’s reflections illustrate the balance fighters must strike between competing and protecting themselves from injuries that could have lasting consequences. He notes that while fans may have wanted the fight to continue, prioritizing fighter safety is critical.
