Tom Aspinall sidelined by eye injury as UFC heavyweight unification plans unfold

Tom Aspinall withdrew from his UFC 321 title defense after an accidental eye poke by Ciryl Gane left him unable to continue. The foul resulted in a no‑contest and Aspinall has since undergone two eye surgeries and is awaiting medical clearance to return. UFC commentator Joe Rogan defended Aspinall on his podcast, calling the criticism of the fighter "insane" and emphasizing that the bout was stopped because of a foul.

Heavyweight contender Alex Pereira said he will not wait for the winner of the Aspinall‑Gane matchup before seeking his next fight. Pereira, who lost his interim heavyweight title bout to Gane in June, confirmed he remains at heavyweight and is targeting a November return, open to any opponent the organization selects. The unification fight between Aspinall and Gane is still pending, with Paris mentioned as a possible venue in September.