Overview
- Francis Ngannou publicly defended Tom Aspinall for stopping after Ciryl Gane’s accidental eye poke, saying the champion’s vision was compromised.
- Dana White said Aspinall is recovering at home with no detached retina reported and that a rematch with Gane will be booked as soon as he is medically cleared.
- Aspinall’s father has said his son continued to experience vision problems in the days after the fight, including difficulty seeing from his right eye.
- The October title bout in Abu Dhabi was ruled a no contest after two first-round eye pokes, and Aspinall was taken to hospital following the stoppage.
- Media reports indicate the UFC requested a Jan. 24 Las Vegas event permit that could host a rematch, though the date has not been confirmed, as debate continues with Jon Jones critical and Gane’s camp calling the foul unintentional.