Abu Dhabi — Saturday’s UFC 321 main event did not end the way anyone had hoped.
Not for fight fans. Not for UFC heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall. And not for Ciryl Gane, who was looking to finally claim an undisputed heavyweight title after a pair of opportunities against Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones.
Instead, an accidental double eye poke left Aspinall unable to continue in the fight late in the opening round. A No Contest was the result. Fans at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi headed for the exists, fans at home no doubt fumed at paying big money for a Pay-Per-View title fight just to fizzle (at least in the U.S., that won’t be a concern next year when the UFC’s partnership with streamer Paramount+ kicks off).
For Gane (13-2, 1NC), there was anger, disappointment, but ultimately understanding, he explained while speaking with media outlets including Cageside Press on hand in Abu Dhabi.
“I think we started very well, I think we started very well. Because everybody knows his strategy, every time he starts really hard and surprises his opponent. I think we did really well, defending the takedown and touching him,” stated Gane, who had been aggressive and in Aspinall’s face in the early going, finding success with his jab. “We saw some blood on his nose. It was a really great first round, and that’s why I was maybe also I was a little bit disappointed, a little bit sad about this issue— but this is the sport.”
His immediate reaction was that “I really, really wanted to continue the fight,” added Gane. “I was first angry because I don’t want him to stop the fight. After I was disappointed, sad, and after apologetic for the people.”
Ultimately, Gane understands better than most, having been the victim of a bad eye poke himself in his fight with “The Black Beast” in 2021.
“I didn’t do it on purpose. I know what it is to have an eye poke, because when I fought Derrick Lewis, I got an eye poke, and I saw two Derrick Lewis’ for a full round. One round, during that bit of the round, and the rest of the round, I saw two Derrick Lewis. So I’m not going to say ‘yeah he’s a liar.'”
Per UFC CEO and President Dana White, the UFC hopes to run the fight back soon.
Watch the full UFC 321 post-fight press conference with Ciryl Gane above.
