Sean O’Malley has come to Tom Aspinall’s defense after the controversial UFC 321 main event ended in chaos. The heavyweight title bout between Aspinall and Ciryl Gane was stopped in the first round after Gane accidentally poked Aspinall in both eyes, leaving the champion unable to continue.
Some pundits, including Chael Sonnen and Anthony Smith, criticized Aspinall for not fighting through the foul — but O’Malley wasn’t having it.
“To question Tom’s toughness is insane,” O’Malley said on his YouTube channel. “He got poked in both eyes by a world-class striker. That’s not something you can just fight through. He wanted to continue more than anyone — but that was an illegal strike. It’s not the same as getting hit legally.”
O’Malley argued that Aspinall’s toughness isn’t in question, noting that the risk of permanent eye damage makes it impossible to continue in that situation. “You don’t know if you’ll ever see again. It’s scary. Tom’s one of the toughest guys in the sport.”
Replays confirmed Gane’s fingers made direct contact with both eyes. While Dana White has expressed interest in re-booking the fight, no timeline has been set for Aspinall’s return. O’Malley, however, says it’s the only fair outcome: “Both guys looked incredible — it’s the fight to run back.”
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