MMA Community Appalled as UFC Legends Blame Tom Aspinall For ‘Quitting’ at UFC 321

UFC veterans Chael Sonnen and Anthony Smith call out Tom Aspinall for discontinuing after facing a double eye poke at UFC 321.

MMA Community Appalled as UFC Legends Blame Tom Aspinall For ‘Quitting’ at UFC 321

Tom Aspinall gets blamed by UFC legends (via BBC, MMA Fighting)

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The heavyweight title fight between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 ended in a no-contest after an accidental double eye poke left the champ unable to continue. The outcome has left the MMA community divided over Aspinall’s spirit and Gane’s sportsmanship. However, UFC veterans Chael Sonnen and Anthony Smith weighed in with strong and controversial takes on how the stoppage unfolded.

The fight began with measured pacing, with both heavyweights gauging range and footwork in the early exchanges. Gane attempted to establish rhythm with feints and straight shots while Aspinall responded with counter entries from mid-range. The eye poke occurred during a defensive hand-post exchange near the fence, and the referee halted action when Aspinall immediately signaled impaired vision.

In the aftermath, UFC CEO Dana White addressed the stoppage and indirectly criticized Aspinall’s decision not to continue. That public stance set the stage for Sonnen to expand in the same direction of scrutiny. He positioned the stoppage as a test of what is expected from a reigning heavyweight champion and also articulated his stance explicitly in the ESPN 321 show.

Being poked in the eye is illegal, but to fight with one eye is very common. The opponent is trying to hit your eye; he’s trying to bust you up and make your nose bleed. So that part of it, it does have a question mark for guys like Anthony Smith and I. We are trying to be polite. We are trying to show grace, but in all fairness, you’re the Heavyweight champion of the world. You’ve got to fight with one eye at times.

Chael Sonnen via ESPN

Smith then contributed to the discussion from the standpoint of a veteran who has competed through injury at the championship level. His remarks were framed through the lens of his experience with compromised vision in live competition and continued the same underlying argument asserted by Sonnen. However, Smith remained neutral, avoiding a tone of sympathy or defense of Aspinall.

I’m not saying it’s Tom’s fault. And I’m not going to pretend that I know how bad it is or isn’t. I think Chael made a poetic point that you have to be used to or willing to fight with one eye. I did it in Singapore. You never say ‘I can’t see’ if you want to continue a fight.

Anthony Smith via ESPN

The incident comes against the backdrop of prior attempts to reduce eye-pokes at the highest level. In 2024, the UFC briefly introduced a revised glove model that angled the fingers downward and reduced the frequency of extended-finger fouls. That model was subsequently removed from rotation after internal assessment suggested a measurable decline in knockout finishes following its introduction.

At a broader level, the no-contest leaves Tom Aspinall’s heavyweight title status unresolved and shapes how UFC 321 will be remembered. The stoppage preserved both athletes’ records while delaying clarity in the division. The firm public positions taken by Chael Sonnen and Anthony Smith now sit alongside the result as part of the event’s lasting context.

Matt Brown and MMA community react to Chael Sonnen and Anthony Smith’s comments on Tom Aspinall’s UFC 321 injury

Some fans placed fault on Tom Aspinall, arguing he could have continued despite the eye poke, while others blamed Ciryl Gane for the foul itself and maintained that a title fight should not end in such a fashion. Several argued that championship stakes change expectations about how far a fighter is willing to push through impairment, while others insisted that athlete safety overrides that in any ruleset.

Matt Brown comes to Tom Aspinall's support
Matt Brown comes to Tom Aspinall’s support (via MMA Fighting, BBC)

A second portion of fans reacted to the discourse created by Chael Sonnen and Anthony Smith. They argued that taking like theirs reinforced a lenient culture around fouls and allowed aggressors to escape accountability when accidental contact decides outcomes. UFC veteran Matt Brown’s public criticism of Sonnen and Smith was repeatedly cited as evidence that not all veterans shared their position.

In the final wave of reaction, many fans dismissed the authority of Chael Sonnen and Anthony Smith on the basis that neither had captured UFC gold while criticizing an active champion’s decision-making in a title bout. It remains to be seen whether Tom Aspinall or others in the MMA community respond to these comments made by veterans on a public stage.

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