Aspinall-Gane ruled no contest after eye poke in UFC title bout - ESPN

Tom Aspinall's reign as the UFC's undisputed heavyweight champion got off to a disastrous start on Saturday, as his first title defense ended in a no-contest at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi.

Aspinall (15-3) was unable to continue after title challenger Ciryl Gane (13-2) accidentally poked his right eye during an exchange at 4:35 of the opening round. Aspinall was provided five minutes to recover, but referee Jason Herzog had no choice but to stop the bout once the defending champion said he still couldn't see. Aspinall was immediately transported to the hospital post-fight.

It's the first time a UFC title fight has ended in a no-contest due to an accidental foul.

«This is bulls---, the fight was just getting going,» Aspinall said. «Complete bulls---. I'm pissed off. I can hardly open my eye.»

Gane, a former interim champion, apologized for the eye-poke, which actually appeared to make contact with both of Aspinall's eyes, even though it primarily impacted the right eye.

«I'm very sorry for that — for the crowd, for the fans, for everybody,» Gane said. «I'm sorry for myself. We put a lot of energy into this fight. I'm very disappointed, but this is the sport.»

The UFC will almost certainly book an immediate rematch between Aspinall and Gane. The heavyweight division is surprisingly light on legitimate title contenders, despite Jones's inactivity as a champion and subsequent decision to retire. Part of that is due to Aspinall's dominance and his willingness to not only win an interim championship but also defend it once in 2024. He has already defeated three of the top four-ranked contenders in the weight class. UFC CEO Dana White indicated the promotion would immediately rebook the fight, but did not offer a timeframe as to when.