EXCLUSIVE: Tom Aspinall sends message to Ciryl Gane after UFC 321 eye poke controversy

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has taken aim at Ciryl Gane in the aftermath of their UFC 321 clash.

Aspinall's clash with the French striker was set to mark his crowning moment as the UFC's premier heavyweight talent after he was promoted to undisputed champion following Jon Jones' retirement.

However, towards the end of a closely-contested opening round in the main event of UFC 321, Gane poked Aspinall in both eyes and left the champion unable to continue.

The bout was subsequently ruled a no contest, with Aspinall's fighting future left hanging as he continues to suffer from double vision - nearly two months after the fight.

Speaking exclusively with Adam Catterall for One on One, the 32-year-old explained that the diplopia has rendered him unable to train combat sports, and revealed that will undergo separate surgeries on both eyes in the coming weeks in a bid to correct his vision.

Such a severe surgery has led to questions surrounding whether he will be able to return to the Octagon, but Aspinall insisted that he is prioritising his general wellbeing before looking towards a return to the cage.

"I'm just thinking about my health at the minute," he said. "To be honest, I'm not even thinking about any of that stuff because you have to take it one step at a time don't you? You can't be doing that.

The plan is to get back and to beat the living daylights out of Ciryl Gane, that's the plan.

Typically known for being mild-mannered and not engaging in the kind of trash talk so inherent in combat sports, Aspinall admitted that the former interim heavyweight champion has gotten under his skin.

In a recent social media post Gane wrote that he was unsure when he would be returning to competition, an irate Aspinall fired back in the comments calling his rival a "cheat".

Regarding the fateful night at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, Aspinall was asked if he believed Gane's foul to be intentional.

"I think that I've never accidentally done something in a fight." said Aspinall. "I don't see how you can, really. So I'll leave it at that."

Despite the tribulations of a year spent waiting for a superfight with Jones that ultimately never materialised, before suffering such a devastating injury in his long-awaited return to competition, Aspinall insisted that he has been able to see positive side..

"I've learned a lot, and I've learned that the people who care about me, care about me." He added. "There's a lot of other people that I thought that did, but don't. And that's great learning experience.

"I'm am nearly 33 years old, and I'm learning some good stuff for the future of my life, which is great.

"It just brings people to light, don't it? When you're going through some adversity, people show you who they are. It's been a phenomenal learning experience.

"I feel good about it all now. So I'm not I'm not in any way, shape or form complaining or crying about it, or anything like that. I'm happy with what I've learned."

Watch the full Tom Aspinall interview with Adam Catterall here.

Adrian Bishop

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