Sports
Tom Aspinall Savages Dana White Over UFC 321 ‘Quit’ Claim
Reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall has finally broken his silence on the criticism he received after being forced to pull out of his UFC 321 main event with Ciryl Gane due to an eye injury – and he’s had some brutal words for company CEO Dana White.
The 32-year-old Brit suffered a gruesome-looking double eye poke in the first round of the contest at the hands of his French challenger. Aspinall immediately called for a halt to the action, telling both referee Jason Herzog and cageside medics that he was unable to see.
Unsurprisingly after such a comment, the official called off the bout, declaring the fight a no contest. Aspinall’s frustration at the result was clear in his post-fight interview, as he asked raging fans at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi: “What the f***, why are you booing? What am I supposed to do about it, I didn’t do the poke. I can’t see!”
That the fight was cut short in such unfortunate circumstances was particularly hard for Aspinall to accept as he was making his first defence of the heavyweight championship. Prior to UFC 321, Aspinall had endured a 15-month spell on the sidelines while waiting for previous titleholder Jon Jones to make a decision on his future.
Among those who didn’t have a great deal of sympathy for Aspinall after the fight, though, was UFC boss White. The veteran matchmaker told media after the pay-per-view event: “I can’t make people fight!”
White continued: “And you definitely can’t make somebody continue if they feel they’ve been injured. Only Tom knows what happened … could he see, couldn’t he see, could he continue — only he knows that… Tom didn’t want to continue in the fight. The rematch is very interesting.”
Dana’s suggestion that Aspinall “didn’t want to continue” was echoed by many of the champion’s critics in the aftermath of the event. Having stayed quiet on the controversy ever since the event, Aspinall took to social media on Sunday, releasing a YouTube video that included his medical records relating to the injury.
Tom Aspinall’s Reaction to Dana White’s Criticism at UFC 321
Asked for his reaction to White’s comments, the champion wasn’t afraid to let the UFC boss know exactly how he felt.
“I didn’t continue, and I’ll tell you why, because I’m not a f****** dummy. I’m not gonna fight one of the best strikers in the world if I can’t see. If it’s a foul then why am I gonna put my health at risk when I can’t see at all?”
Tom went on to explain that not every UFC executive agreed with White’s stance, noting positive conversations with the promotion’s Chief Business Officer, Hunter Campbell.
He confirmed: “Hunter Campbell, who I deal with personally has said that if there’s anyway they can help out with doctors then that’s what they’ll do.”
For all the disappointment of UFC 321, Aspinall vs Gane 2 promises to be even bigger than the original, with the pair now having a true grudge to settle. No date has yet been discussed for the encounter, but when it does take place it will be one of the most anticipated contests in UFC heavyweight history.
