Matt Brown Defends Tom Aspinall Against UFC 321 Critics After Eye Poke Incident

Following UFC 321, Tom Aspinall, the reigning heavyweight champion, faces scrutiny after an unexpected incident. He suffered an eye poke from Ciryl Gane, which forced him to halt the match. This sudden turn of events disappointed fans in Abu Dhabi and pay-per-view viewers alike.

Matt Brown Defends Tom Aspinall

UFC veteran Matt Brown stepped in to defend Aspinall against the backlash he received. On a recent episode of The Fighter vs. The Writer, Brown expressed his frustration regarding critics blaming Aspinall for not continuing after the foul. He emphasized, “Where did this come from? How did he do anything wrong?”

Brown highlighted the severity of the situation by pointing out that competitors should not be expected to fight under adverse conditions like impaired vision. “We’re not in a death match. This is a professional competition, and he wants to give himself the best chance of winning,” he stated.

Fighter Safety and Public Opinion

Criticism of fighters for stopping after a foul is becoming more common. Aljamain Sterling faced similar comments after his illegal knee incident in a title fight against Petr Yan. Sterling systemically dealt with accusations of quitting, regardless of the legality of the blow.

• Aljamain Sterling: Criticized after illegal knee; forced to stop against Yan.
• Belal Muhammad: Faced backlash after an eye poke in his fight with Leon Edwards.

Brown pointed out that the narrative against Aspinall seems to ignore the nuances of combat sports. He stated that Aspinall might have chosen to fight on if the circumstances were different. However, given the eye poke’s nature, he made the right decision to stop.

Post-Fight Analysis and Rematch Plans

Following UFC 321, UFC President Dana White indicated plans for a rematch between Aspinall and Gane once Aspinall’s health allows. Brown believes that Gane’s foul should have resulted in a disqualification rather than a no-contest. He stressed that rule violations should be met with consequences.

“When one guy breaks the rules, the other guy should not deal with the punishment for that,” Brown asserted. He insists that the standards of the sport must be upheld for fair competition.

As the UFC landscape continues to evolve, discussions like these emphasize the importance of fighter safety and accountability in the ring.