Tom Aspinall’s first defence of the undisputed UFC heavyweight title ended in bizarre and deflating fashion on Saturday, as he was poked in the eye in round one.
The Briton was taking on Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC 321, in Abu Dhabi, after a 15-month absence from the Octagon.
• Follow live: UFC 321 fallout as Aspinall suffers eye poke from Gane
And all the hype and tension gave way to an unexpected ending, when Gane accidentally poked Aspinall in both eyes at the same time.
As is customary in these situations, the action was paused and a five-minute timer began, with Aspinall checked on by the referee and a doctor.
If the Wigan heavyweight had been able to continue fighting before those five minutes expired, the bout would have resumed. Gane would have received a warning or, if the poke had been deemed intentional, he would have been docked a point.
However, if a fighter is deemed unable (or deems him/herself unable) to keep competing before the five minutes run out – or at the end of that period – the bout is waved off. It is declared a No Contest if the poke is determined to be unintentional, which is what happened at UFC 321, or a fighter is disqualified if the poke is thought to be intentional.
However, eye pokes are almost never deemed intentional.
“What are you gonna do?” UFC president Dana White said at the post-fight press conference, before referencing a recent change – and change-back – in the style of UFC gloves: “No matter what you do with the gloves, it’s gonna happen.”
Aspinall, in his post-fight interview in the cage, reacted to boos from fans in the Etihad Arena, saying: “I just got poked knuckled-deep in the eyeball. What the f***, why are you booing? What am I supposed to do about it? I didn’t do the poke, I can’t see!
“This is bulls***. The fight was just getting going. Look at this, a double eye poke,” he continued, motioning at a slow-motion replay on the big screen.
Gane was also subjected to boos as he conducted his post-fight interview in the Octagon. “I’m very sorry about this,” he said, “for the crowd, for Tom Aspinall, for myself. This is the sport.”
