Tom Aspinall kept his throne through the most anticlimactic means.
The Team Kaobon star retained the undisputed Ultimate Fighting Championship heavyweight title via no contest after he absorbed an inadvertent eye poke from Cyril Gane in the first round of their UFC 321 headliner on Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Aspinall (15-3, 8-1 UFC) made it clear he could not continue 4:35 into Round 1.
Gane (13-2, 10-2 UFC) zeroed in on the champion’s lower extremities with side kicks and sent a handful of jabs crashing into his face.