UFC 321 results: Tom Aspinall retains heavyweight title in no contest after eye poke from Ciryl Gane

Tom Aspinall’s first defense of his undisputed heavyweight title ended in bitter disappointment when an accidental eye poke from Ciryl Gane left the Briton unable to continue at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi.

At the end of a competitive first round, Frenchman Gane poked Aspinall in both eyes while trying to throw a punch, and the referee stopped the bout.

It was seen that 32-year-old Aspinall put a cloth to his eye and told the doctor “I can’t see” and the referee deemed the match a no-contest because the Englishman could not fight.

The result meant Aspinall retained his title – but not in the way he wanted, and he showed his disappointment in his post-fight interview as the crowd booed the result.

“Guys, I just got hit deep in the eye. Why are you booing? I can’t see,” said Aspinall sadly.

“The fight was just starting. I can barely open my eyes. Look! It was a double eye poke.”

Aspinall was hospitalized after the fight and did not attend the post-fight press conference.

Calling the fight a no-contest means the referee deemed the foul accidental rather than intentional, which could result in disqualification.

A disqualification was a win for Aspinall.

Gane was equally disturbed by the result and could be seen wandering around the edge of the octagon shaking his head when the result was announced.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry for the crowd, I’m sorry for the fans, I’m sorry for Tom Aspinall and I’m sorry for myself,” Gane said.

“We put a lot of energy into this fight, so I’m disappointed, but this is a sport, this is life.

“I don’t know what will happen in the future, but we’ll see.”