Aspinall-Gane UFC Bout Ruled No Contest on Eye Poke

Tom Aspinall's first defense of his undisputed UFC heavyweight title ended abruptly on October 26 in Abu Dhabi when the bout against Ciryl Gane was ruled a no contest after Gane accidentally poked Aspinall in the eyes late in the first round. The British champion, unable to continue due to impaired vision, drew mixed reactions from the MMA community, highlighting ongoing concerns about fouls in the sport.

Aspinall, elevated to undisputed status after Jon Jones retired without unifying the belts, faced immediate scrutiny. Jones, who last fought in November 2024 with a TKO victory over Stipe Miocic, questioned Aspinall's resilience during a recent appearance on the No Scripts Podcast. "When Tom gets hurt, he's like immediately incapacitated," Jones said. "Immediately." He referenced Aspinall's past fights, including a quick submission loss to Curtis Blaydes and an injury against the same opponent, suggesting a pattern of quick capitulation. Jones, who briefly came out of retirement following announcements of a 2026 UFC event at the White House, expressed hope to compete there, potentially in a superfight against Alex Pereira.

Contrasting Jones' view, former UFC title challenger...