Ciryl Gane: Former UFC champion provides solution to eye-pokes after Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane ends in no contest

Tom Aspinall's first UFC heavyweight title defense fight ended dramatically, prompting reactions from former welterweight champion Belal Muhammad.

Aspinall faced Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC 321. Right from the opening bell, both fighters started strong and exchanged solid strikes. However, just moments before the end of the first round, an accidental eye poke from Gane halted the action.

After the incident, Aspinall returned to his corner, where a doctor intervened to examine him. After several minutes of inspection, the British fighter stated that he was having difficulty seeing clearly. As a result, the referee stopped the fight and ruled it a no-contest.

Muhammad, who seemed to be watching the fight live, appeared displeased with how things unfolded. He expressed his thoughts in a post on X.

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

"Ugh I been there its the worst feeling ever"

In another post, Muhammad offered a solution to scrap eye pokes during fights.

"If they want to get rid of eye pokes, they need to take a point away instantly"

Check out Belal Muhammad's post below:

Tom Aspinall was promoted to UFC heavyweight champion after Jon Jones announced his retirement earlier this year. The Brit's UFC 321 bout against Gane marked his return from over a year-long hiatus. His last fight in the promotion was against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 last year, where he successfully defended the interim heavyweight championship.

On the other hand, Gane had the opportunity to fight for the UFC heavyweight championship for the third time. Before facing Aspinall, he had challenged Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones for the heavyweight title. Although the Frenchman fell short in those two attempts, he was confident about seizing his third opportunity.

After the official results of UFC 321 were announced, Ciryl Gane apologized for the accidental eye poke during the match. Meanwhile, Tom Aspinall appeared visibly disappointed with how his first title defense had unfolded.

About the author

A budding sports management professional, Nilaav Gogoi covers MMA at Sportskeeda. His entry into sports journalism began with stints at Sportszion and First Sportz. Nilaav strives to understand the captivating stories surrounding MMA and its various technical aspects. He is dedicated to providing his audience with accurate and well-authored content while ensuring the information remains reliable.

Know More