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High-stakes title fights often become flashpoints not only for athletic consequences but also for regulatory interpretation when they end in atypical fashion. Such was the case with UFC 321, where the heavyweight clash between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane ended in a no-contest. In the aftermath, Aspinall has faced major criticism from the MMA community for being unable to continue. At the 4:35 mark of the first round, an eye poke delivered by Gane during an open-handed frame caused immediate visible impairment to Aspinall. The referee halted action on medical grounds when Aspinall indicated he could not continue. Because the foul was deemed unintentional and the bout had not met the minimum round-time threshold, the commission recorded the result as a no-contest. Ever since the eye-poke stoppage, Aspinall has come under scrutiny from many MMA veterans and fans alike. The most prominent names were undoubtedly Chael Sonnen and Anthony Smith, who used instances from their own careers to diminish the British champion’s injury. However, UFC welterweight veteran Matt Brown recently presented a rules-integrity argument in an interview with MMA Fighting. There are rules. When one guy breaks the rules, the other guy should not deal with the punishment for that. It shouldn’t be a no-contest. It should be a disqualification. If you want to set a standard, what rules are meant for, then you follow that standard and you make a DQ. It doesn’t mean [Ciryl Gane] shouldn’t get another rematch. I think it would be fair to get another rematch but he should get a DQ here Matt Brown via MMA Fighting Aspinall had entered UFC 321 as the reigning heavyweight champion, after being promoted to undisputed status from interim without stepping in the Octagon. Gane arrived at UFC 321 for his third UFC title bid after two prior failed attempts for undisputed gold against Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones, making the matchup consequential for both fighters equally. Brown was not the only UFC veteran who called out Gane for the eye poke offence. Jim Miller holds the UFC records for most fights and victories, and is a fan favorite. Miller demonstrated how the gloves were not the problem and asked the UFC to impose stricter restrictions and purse deductions, as it would force fighters to be more careful and avoid such fouls. The no-contest preserved Tom Aspinall’s title without answering the competitive question. Matt Brown’s position gained weight because it was attached to an active belt fight. His interpretation framed the foul as the decisive action rather than an interruption. UFC 321 is now referenced in discussions on whether accidental fouls in title fights merit outcomes stricter than a no-contest. Henry Cejudo advises Tom Aspinall to find the best medical attention after the UFC 321 fiasco The aftermath of UFC 321 has shifted attention from the result in the cage to the medical outlook for Tom Aspinall, whose title defence ended prematurely due to an eye injury. With the heavyweight belt now paused by a health-dependent timeline rather than competitive resolution, the trajectory of the division is temporarily anchored to medical assessment rather than immediate matchmaking. Henry Cejudo entered the situation from an advisory standpoint by facilitating specialist evaluation through a physician previously involved in high-level combat sports eye cases. Cejudo was also reminded of the aftereffects he was feeling after his bout against Song Yadong in February 2025. He included an associate of Aspinall in the consultation process to establish medical visibility into the nature of the injury. I ended up actually going to Sean O’Malley’s eye doctor and brought one of Tom Aspinall’s friends. His name is James Mistry, so he was able to see what truly happens behind the eye. So if I’m Tom, I’m also looking at finding the best specialist to see how long it’s going to take for him to come back and compete. Henry Cejudo via ESPN
