Overview
- Referee Jason Herzog halted the fight at 4:35 of Round 1 after replays showed Ciryl Gane’s outstretched fingers contacted both of Tom Aspinall’s eyes, leading to an official no-contest.
- Aspinall told officials he could not see and was transported to a local hospital for evaluation following the cageside assessment.
- Ciryl Gane publicly apologized to Aspinall and the fans, calling the foul unintentional and expressing disappointment with the outcome.
- UFC president Dana White called the finish a frustrating end and said the promotion intends to rebook the matchup as soon as Aspinall is cleared, keeping the heavyweight picture unsettled for now.
- Reports noted Gane’s strong start with an effective jab that bloodied Aspinall’s nose and a defended takedown, and analysts including Daniel Cormier pushed for a swift rematch.