Ciryl Gane laments frustrating ending against Tom Aspinall at UFC 321: 'I don't know what's in store for me'

Gane focused before fighting in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC

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The main event of UFC 321, held last Saturday (25) in Abu Dhabi, ended unexpectedly and frustratingly for Ciryl Gane . The fight for the linear heavyweight belt (up to 120,2kg.) against Tom Aspinall was interrupted in the first round after an accidental eye poke by the Englishman, who was unable to continue the fight, resulting in a no contest.

In a post-fight interview, Gane expressed disappointment with the outcome, but reinforced his confidence in his team and the UFC to plan the next steps.

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"I'm a little disappointed with the fight result... also because of what was happening and the future. For many reasons, mainly because of the work we did. I don't know what my future holds now. I believe in my manager, my team, and the UFC. They'll do a good job together. I'm just a fighter," said the Frenchman.

The incident occurred 4 minutes and 35 seconds into the first round, when Gane accidentally hit Aspinall in the eye. The champion was examined by the UFC medical team, but claimed he couldn't see, leading the referee to stop the fight. As a result, Tom Aspinall retained the belt and the audience received an ending considered 'anticlimactic'.

Ciryl Gane's 'curse' in title fights

For Ciryl Gane , this would be his fourth challenge for a UFC heavyweight belt, and his fourth fight for a linear or unification title. In August 2021, the Frenchman won the interim belt by knocking out Derrick Lewis.

In his chance to unify the title, however, he fell victim to Francis Ngannou 's takedown game and lost on points. A year later, in March 2023, he welcomed Jon Jones for the vacant title, but was easy prey for 'Bones', who finished him with a rear-naked choke in the first round.

UFC President Dana White has already indicated that an immediate rematch between Aspinall and Gane will be planned once the champion recovers. The new fight is expected to take place in early 2026.

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