“Most Ironic Thing Possible” – Fans Appalled as Aljamain Sterling Suggests Tom Aspinall Quit Against Ciryl Gane 

Aljamain Sterling adds himself to the list of people criticizing Tom Aspinall for discontinuing after getting eye poked at UFC 321.

“Most Ironic Thing Possible” – Fans Appalled as Aljamain Sterling Suggests Tom Aspinall Quit Against Ciryl Gane 

Aljamain Sterling criticizes Tom Aspinall for quitting (via Bloody Elbow, GivemeSport)

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The UFC 321 main event between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane ended in controversy after an accidental eye poke left the undisputed heavyweight champion unable to continue. Referee Jason Herzog immediately stepped in at just 4:35 minutes of the opening, and after a detailed review, the bout was declared a no-contest.

The Englishman’s vision was compromised to the point where continuing was not an option. Under the unified rules, an accidental foul before a sufficient number of rounds have been completed results in a no-contest rather than a technical decision. The ruling meant that both fighters’ records remained intact, but the heavyweight division was left without a clear direction.

While footage confirmed the severity of the eye poke and supported the referee’s call, some in the MMA community questioned Aspinall’s decision to stop fighting. Among them was former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, who weighed in on the situation.

Sterling acknowledged the incident but raised doubts about how the stoppage unfolded and whether the fight could have continued under different circumstances.

I know y’all think I’m gonna be on the side of Tommy, but I’m not…I have so many questions man. Tom Aspinall was losing that fight. Right away, the guy was saying, ‘I can’t see. ’ It makes me question, ‘did that really hurt as much as you said it did?

Aljamain Sterling via X

Sterling’s involvement was notable given that his first UFC title win over Petr Yan at UFC 259 came by disqualification following an illegal knee that ended the bout after ‘Aljo’ refused to continue. The incident later led to a rematch at UFC 273, which Sterling won by unanimous decision, and his familiarity with foul-triggered outcomes provided additional context for his participation in the post-fight discussion.

Following the rematch with Yan, Sterling defended the bantamweight title against former champion T.J. Dillashaw at UFC 280 and retained the belt when Dillashaw’s shoulder injury led to an intervention and stoppage. He then secured another defense against Henry Cejudo in a five-round decision before losing the title to Sean O’Malley at UFC 288 in his subsequent bout.

The UFC 321 no-contest halted the heavyweight trajectory without giving Aspinall a conclusive result. The stoppage added to the sport’s catalog of foul-driven outcomes that redirect careers without settling hierarchy. Sterling’s own history with rule-enforced endings and his subsequent commentary show how such episodes shape narratives across divisions.

Fans react to Aljamain Sterling criticizing Tom Aspinall at UFC 321

The fallout from the UFC 321 heavyweight title bout has drawn widespread scrutiny, mainly because it marked Tom Aspinall’s first title defence, and the division’s championship had not been contested in nearly a year. For many viewers, the combination of long-awaited stakes and an abrupt foul-induced ending made the finish feel disproportionate to the build-up that preceded it.

Aljamain Sterling
Aljamain Sterling (via Bleacher Report)

A noticeable portion of the audience directed their criticism at Aljamain Sterling for questioning Aspinall’s decision to stop, pointing out that ‘Aljo’ himself became champion in a bout that ended without a conclusive decision. Fans argued that his own history of a controversial disqualification result weakened the basis for him to challenge another champion’s response to an illegal action.

In contrast, another bloc of viewers defended Aspinall, insisting that a champion is justified in stopping when an opponent’s foul removes his ability to compete at full capacity.

They argued that forcing a damaged titleholder to continue would normalize an advantage gained through illegal action. In this view, the decision to stop protects not only Aspinall’s career but also the structural integrity of UFC victories.

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