Dana White Faces Backlash from MMA Fans Following UFC 321 Eye Poke Controversy For Blaming Tom Aspinall
UFC president Dana White found himself at the center of intense criticism from MMA fans and media members following controversial comments he made about Tom Aspinall after the heavyweight champion was unable to continue at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi on October 25, 2025.
UFC 321
The main event between Aspinall and challenger Ciryl Gane ended in a no-contest at 4:35 of the first round after Gane accidentally poked Aspinall in both eyes. The incident occurred with approximately 30 seconds remaining in what had been a competitive opening round, during which Gane had bloodied Aspinall’s nose and appeared to be performing better than many expected.
After being given the standard five-minute recovery period, Aspinall repeatedly told the ringside physician that he could not see, with one of Gane’s fingers reportedly penetrating so deeply into his eye that its middle knuckle was the first visible component. Referee Jason Herzog ultimately ruled the fight a no-contest, and Aspinall was transported to the hospital for evaluation.
Dana White Blames Tom Aspinall
During the post-fight press conference, White made comments that immediately sparked controversy across social media platforms. When discussing a potential rematch, the UFC president stated that there would likely be more interest after fans saw “he had Tom bloodied up and Tom didn’t want to continue in the fight.” White later added that he cannot force fighters to compete if they feel injured, saying “Only Tom knows what happened. Could he see, couldn’t he see, could he continue? Only he knows that.”
Backlash
The comments drew swift and fierce criticism from MMA journalists and fans. Media member AFeldmanMMA wrote on social media: “Imagine your own promoter saying you, Tom Aspinall, the UFC heavyweight champion of the world, ‘didn’t want to continue in the fight’ instead of admitting you literally couldn’t continue because your eyes were mangled by a double eye poke. Insane ‘promotional’ approach. If you’re a fighter, next time you and your manager sit down to negotiate, just remember how little most promoters actually care about your well-being.”
Reddit communities dedicated to MMA erupted with criticism of White’s characterization of events. On the r/MMA subreddit, users expressed frustration that Aspinall received more criticism than Gane for committing the foul. One commenter noted that White had been upset with Aspinall for previously stating he would vacate his title rather than fight his friend and training partner Ante Delija, suggesting the UFC president was willing to throw the champion under the bus.
Another fan commented: “The disrespect is crazy,” while others pointed to White’s pattern of showing disrespect toward certain champions.
In the immediate aftermath inside the octagon, a frustrated Aspinall had responded to crowd boos by stating: “Guys, I just got poked knuckle deep in the eyeball. What the f***? Why are you booing? What am I supposed to do about it? I didn’t do the f*ing poke. I can’t see. This is bull*s. The fight was just getting going. Complete bulls***. I’m pissed off. I can hardly open my eye. Look. Look at this. Fing double poke. Both eyeballs.”
UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier later revealed that he saw Aspinall backstage more than 20 minutes after the fight ended, noting that the British fighter’s right eye was still covered in a bandage and he could not open it. Cormier added that the left eye, which appeared to have been penetrated more deeply, was also severely affected.
Critics noted that eye pokes occur approximately once every 14 fights, yet enforcement remains inconsistent, with automatic point deductions rarely implemented. Only one fighter has been deducted a point for an eye poke in the UFC since the beginning of 2024.
White confirmed that a rematch between Aspinall and Gane would be scheduled as soon as the champion receives medical clearance, calling it “a total pain in the a**, but yes”. The UFC president noted that both fighters were in fighting shape aside from Aspinall’s eye injury and stated the rematch “is what makes sense.”
