Ciryl Gane Stays Unapologetic After UFC 321 No-Contest — Tom Aspinall

Ciryl Gane is still unapologetic about the double eye poke that ended his UFC 321 fight with tom aspinall as a no-contest. The stoppage came in Aspinall’s first defense of the undisputed heavyweight title, and he kept the belt after the fight was ruled without a result.

UFC 321 and Aspinall

Gane fought Aspinall last year at UFC 321, and the exchange that changed the bout came when he double-eye-poked the champion. Aspinall could not continue because his vision was compromised, and the title fight stopped there.

The result froze the division at the moment of the foul. Aspinall retained the undisputed heavyweight title, but the fight itself never reached a clean finish or a scorecard decision.

Double Eye Surgery

What followed for Aspinall was more serious than a failed title defense. He underwent double eye surgery in the months after the bout, and he has not been cleared for sparring to date.

That recovery leaves the aftermath of UFC 321 hanging over both men. Aspinall is still working back from the damage, while Gane has shown no public shift in tone about the foul that ended the fight.

Alex Pereira on June 14

Gane’s next fight is already set for June 14 against Alex Pereira at the White House. That schedule puts him back in the spotlight while the UFC 321 ending still shadows the heavyweight picture.

For Aspinall, the practical concern is simple: until sparring clearance comes, the title picture moves without a full return date for the champion who kept his belt without finishing his first defense. For Gane, the next step is Pereira, but the memory of the eye poke remains the point that defined the last heavyweight title fight he touched.