Tom Aspinall Has Three Options After Ciryl Gane Eye Poke Including Wildcard
Three potential scenarios have emerged following Tom Aspinall's controversial no contest against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321, including a wild card option.
Aspinall's heavyweight title fight against Gane ended in a no contest after the Brit suffered a nasty eye poke from his opponent.
He struggled to see from his right eye during his medical timeout, with referee Jason Herzog subsequently waving off the contest after just four minutes and 35 seconds of action in round one of their main-event showdown.
Aspinall was transported to hospital following the conclusion of UFC 321 as he provided an update on his injury that derailed the defence of his first undisputed championship bout.
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The plan from the UFC is clear - they want to run it back as soon as possible but, of course, it all depends on the severity of Aspinall's eye injury.
Ahead of a decision being made, here are the potential scenarios that could emerge for the UFC, Aspinall, Gane... and Jon Jones.
Best case scenario
A rematch and one quick. A date before the end of the year has been mooted, with UFC 323 scheduled for December 6. The final pay-per-view event of the year already boasts two UFC title fights, but Aspinall vs. Gane 2 would be a welcome addition to the Las Vegas bill.
In an ideal world, Aspinall's eye injury is not as bad as first feared despite the gruesome nature of the eye poke and can make a swift return to the Octagon.
Given Aspinall spent 14 months preparing for Gane, you'd imagine he could make an immediate return without having to do another long, gruelling camp, not to mention he fought for less than a round at UFC 321.
Booking the rematch in December allows Aspinall to get back on track as an active UFC champion - something he desires considering he's in his athletic prime.
Worst case scenario
The eye injury is bad and Aspinall finds himself in a position where he must relinquish his title unless the UFC takes matters into their own hands and strip him of the belt.
If he requires a spell on the sidelines, an interim title would likely be created that could see Gane face a top contender such as Alexander Volkov, who beat Jailton Almeida on the same card, or Derrick Lewis, who is on a two-fight winning streak.
Gane, however, has already beaten Volkov (x2) and Lewis, but another meeting could be on the cards to determine an interim champion.
But it could also be for the undisputed championship if Aspinall decides to vacate or he's stripped.
Wild card scenario
If the UFC want to create a huge amount of buzz ahead of their new media deal with Paramount, which kicks off in the new year, then Dana White could make a blockbuster fight for the vacant title.
If the UFC strip Aspinall of the belt, they could match Jon Jones against Alex Pereira for the vacant championship, with both fighters talking up a monstrous clash at the proposed White House event.
Of course, Jones held the UFC heavyweight strap before retiring from MMA, but he has set his sights on returning to action, eyeing a spot on the White House card, which takes place on June 14, 2026.
As for Pereira, he regained the UFC light-heavyweight title following his destructive victory over Magomed Ankalaev earlier this month and is hellbent on facing Jones.
It would also represent a chance at UFC history as Pereira would be gunning to become the promotion's first-ever three-weight UFC champion, having won the UFC middleweight title in 2022.
What better way to arrive at the White House with a potentially history-making UFC fight and the return of the consensus GOAT.
Topics: Tom Aspinall, Jon Jones, UFC
Nasir Jabbar