The ending of UFC 321 continues to stir debate as several UFC veterans question whether Tom Aspinall could have continued fighting after suffering an eye poke against Ciryl Gane in Abu Dhabi.
The heavyweight title fight was ruled a no-contest after Aspinall told referee Jason Herzog he couldn’t see following a deep accidental poke to the eye. The incident occurred late in the first round, just as the matchup was heating up, leaving fans frustrated and fighters divided.
Former UFC title challenger Chael Sonnen was among the first to share his take, suggesting that Aspinall — as a champion — might have been expected to push through the adversity.
“Being poked in the eye is illegal, but to fight with one eye is very common,” Sonnen said during the UFC 321 post-fight show. “You’re the heavyweight champion of the world — you’ve got to fight with one eye at times.”
Sonnen’s comments sparked heated discussions online, with some agreeing that Aspinall should have continued, while others defended his decision given the severity of the poke.
UFC light heavyweight Anthony Smith, who suffered a serious eye poke against Ryan Spann in 2023, echoed Sonnen’s thoughts — though he made sure to acknowledge that every situation is different.
“I’m not saying it’s Tom’s fault,” Smith said. “But you have to be willing to fight with one eye. I did it in Singapore — I couldn’t see, but I wanted to keep going. You never say ‘I can’t see’ if you want to continue.”
Sonnen further speculated that Aspinall might have underestimated Gane going into the bout, suggesting the British champion faced more resistance than expected.
“I thought the fight was turning out to be a little harder than Tom expected,” Sonnen said. “He’s used to finishing guys in the first round. When things got tough, maybe he took the opportunity to rest — I’ve been there before. You can tell when someone’s done.”
While Sonnen’s remarks have drawn criticism, the replay does show a significant eye poke that visibly injured Aspinall. Even so, Sonnen insists that many fighters have continued under similar circumstances.
“If you get poked in the eye and you’re injured, that’s different,” Sonnen said. “But if you can’t see, that’s something you’ve got to push through.”
Smith believes the narrative will now follow Aspinall for some time.
“The story tomorrow is that Tom Aspinall was in a harder fight than he expected and looked for a way out,” Smith warned. “That’s not what I’m saying — but that’s what people are going to say.”
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