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The MMA community is divided on Tom Aspinall’s decision to stop fighting in the UFC 321 headliner. | Getty/UFC
Tom Aspinall is gaining supporters for his decision to stop fighting after getting eye poked.
Aspinall looked to defend his heavyweight title for the first time against Ciryl Gane in the main event at UFC 321 last weekend in Abu Dhabi. The fight came to a halt as Gane poked Aspinall in both eyes late in the first round. Aspinall was unable to recover despite taking four minutes, and the fight was declared a no contest.
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Aspinall’s decision to stop fighting has the MMA world divided. While some, like Chael Sonnen and Anthony Smith, believe Aspinall should have continued, Abdelaziz defended the heavyweight champ’s decision. The renowned MMA manager believes people who haven’t been severely eye poked shouldn’t be voicing their opinions. Abdelaziz notes that a severe eye poke can leave one’s vision impaired for hours.
‘Do You Think He’s Going to Quit on Himself?’
“If you’ve never been poked in the eye before, you shouldn’t be talking,” Abdelaziz wrote on social media. “This guy’s a world champion — do you really think he’s going to quit on himself? Getting poked in the eye can leave you half-blind for hours. It’s extremely uncomfortable — sometimes you’re seeing double or even triple.”
If you’ve never been poked in the eye before, you shouldn’t be talking. This guy’s a world champion — do you really think he’s going to quit on himself? Getting poked in the eye can leave you half-blind for hours. It’s extremely uncomfortable — sometimes you’re seeing double or…
— Ali Abdelaziz (@AliAbdelaziz00) October 27, 2025
Gane was likely outpointing Aspinall on the feet while the fight lasted. UFC CEO Dana White has since expressed interest in an immediate rematch between the two heavyweights.
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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