Daniel Cormier Calls Out Tom Aspinall for Leaking Private Conversation to Public

Apart from having his UFC 321 bout ruined, Tom Aspinall is now facing flak from Daniel Cormier for leaking a private conversation.

Daniel Cormier Calls Out Tom Aspinall for Leaking Private Conversation to Public

Daniel Cormier didn't like Tom Aspinall releasing private conversations (via Imago/X)

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UFC fans were left disappointed after Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane ended abruptly due to an accidental eye poke in Abu Dhabi. The heavyweight title main event was stopped immediately when Gane’s fingers caught Aspinall’s eye, leaving the champion unable to continue fighting. Moreover, the fight ultimately ended in a no-contest at just 4:35 minutes of the opening round.

While debates continue about the incident, former heavyweight champion Daniel Cormier voiced a unique complaint directed towards Aspinall. Before the UFC 321 main event between Aspinall and Gane, both heavyweight contenders were engaged in intense promotional activities.

During this period, Aspinall participated in an interview with Cormier, which quickly attracted thousands of eager viewers on YouTube. However, a short behind-the-scenes clip showing a private conversation about the UFC heavyweight division between both men unexpectedly went viral.

It was Aspinall who had uploaded that footage to his own YouTube channel, something Cormier strongly disapproved of. In the clip, ‘DC’ was seen advising Aspinall, praising his athleticism and predicting a dominant future heavyweight run.

Cormier also subtly dissed other contenders, particularly Jailton Almeida, implying his wrestling-heavy approach lacked the finishing instincts. Interestingly, the Brazilian competed on the same UFC 321 card, facing Alexander Volkov, and despite controlling Volkov, he lost via split decision. 

However, when Cormier took to his Good Guy/Bad Guy show on ESPN, he strongly disapproved of Aspinall’s decision to post it on his own YouTube channel. This is because the viral clip showcased Cormier in a negative light as someone who carried a bias despite being a UFC analyst.

In that statement, I was saying that Jailton is going to wrestle you — it’s not as dangerous of a fight — and I could’ve done a better job of saying that to Tom. I was upset that Tom didn’t release that. When you lean into someone and you’re talking quietly, that’s a private conversation, and that should stay between you and the athlete. I thought it was Embedded, and I knew Embedded would never do something like that.

Daniel Cormier via Good Guy/Bad Guy Show

Almeida failed to inflict any significant damage during the fight, which even UFC CEO Dana White publicly criticized afterward. He just landed 9 significant strikes in a three-round bout in which he had over 11 minutes of control time.

Nevertheless, Cormier later admitted he regretted making those comments about the Brazilian despite believing there was some truth involved. DC clarified that his statements were never meant to be public and didn’t expect this from the reigning heavyweight kingpin.

An old interview of Jon Jones goes viral following Tom Aspinall’s recent no-contest result

Following the incident in the first round, Tom Aspinall took his recovery time but repeatedly complained that his vision was impaired. Referee Jason Herzog was forced to stop the contest and officially declare it a no-contest, leaving Gane visibly emotional. As the decision was announced, fans in attendance loudly booed the champion, prompting Aspinall to protest that it wasn’t his fault.

Tom Aspinall gets eye poked against Ciryl Gane
Tom Aspinall gets eye poked against Ciryl Gane (via X)

Aspinall later consulted medical professionals who confirmed there was no major damage but supported his decision to prioritize safety and stop. Despite the doctor’s reassurance, the British heavyweight faced heavy criticism from fans and analysts who accused him of quitting. Adding to the controversy, an old Jon Jones interview surfaced where the veteran questioned Aspinall’s ability to fight through adversity.

One of his losses, he was taken down and twisted his ankle. He had no defense and he tapped so quickly. The moment he felt any pressure on his ankle, he tapped immediately. Which lets me know a lot about him.

Jon Jones via Geoffrey Woo

Chael Sonnen had a similar opinion as he accused Aspinall of quitting instead of fighting through the compromised eye. Recently, Dustin Poirier also chimed in on the conversation and revealed that he would have continued irrespective of the eye poke.

There were also several discussions about how to stop eye pokes in UFC, and many experts shared their ideas. Aspinall’s father, Andy, suggested UFC take action and recognise fighters who often do eye pokes and warn them. However, fans are mostly eager to see the much-anticipated title rematch between Aspinall and the French contender. 

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