Three days after UFC 321, Tom Aspinall is still unable to see out of his right eye — a shocking aftermath that has the MMA world talking. What was supposed to be a thrilling title defense ended abruptly after a freak accident left the heavyweight champion with potentially serious eye damage. But here’s where it gets controversial — could this injury have been prevented?
According to his father, Andy Aspinall, Tom still has no vision in his right eye following the eye poke incident during Saturday’s main event against Cyril Gane in Abu Dhabi. The injury occurred late in the first round when Gane unintentionally poked Aspinall in both eyes while throwing a punch. The 32-year-old Briton couldn’t continue, forcing the referee to call the fight a no contest — meaning Tom retained his title but left the octagon in visible distress.
After being rushed to the hospital immediately following the fight, Aspinall flew back to England and met with a specialist in Manchester on Monday. In a heartfelt update shared on Tom’s official YouTube channel, his father revealed, “His right eye — he still can’t see anything. He said it’s just grey. His left eye’s about 50%, so one’s really blurry and the other’s still not working.” It’s a terrifying situation for any fighter — or anyone, for that matter — whose livelihood depends on their physical health.
Further medical tests, including a CT scan, are planned this week to ensure that no bones around the eye were fractured. Fortunately, early indications suggest the bones are intact. Still, Andy Aspinall expressed deep concern, emphasizing that eye pokes are far too common in MMA. “It happens a lot in the sport,” he said. “Something needs to be done to stop it. He could have lost his sight. We’re still waiting and hoping time will heal it.”
And here’s the part most fans might not know: UFC gloves, by design, are fingerless — a feature meant to allow grappling but which unfortunately increases the risk of accidental eye pokes. In June 2024, the UFC introduced a redesigned glove to reduce such injuries, but only months later, in November, they reverted to the old design that had been in use since 1997. Why? That’s still a matter of debate.
Even UFC president Dana White admitted during the post-fight press conference that “no matter what you do with the glove, eye pokes are going to happen.” But is that really acceptable in a sport where athletes risk their health every time they step into the cage? Many fans and fighters argue that more can — and should — be done.
So what do you think? Should the UFC take stronger measures to redesign gloves permanently and protect fighters from preventable injuries? Or is this simply an unfortunate but unavoidable part of mixed martial arts? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments — because this debate is far from over.
