The UFC heavyweight title fight between Frenchman Ciryl Gane and Britain's Tom Aspinall was stopped in the first round on Saturday in Abu Dhabi due to an eye injury to Aspinall. The referee declared a 'no contest,' and a rematch is planned. Gane was slightly leading before the incident.
On Saturday, October 25, 2025, at Abu Dhabi's Etihad Arena, Ciryl Gane, 35 and a French MMA standout, faced Tom Aspinall, 32 and the reigning UFC heavyweight champion (+93 kg), for his third shot at the belt after losses in 2022 and 2023.
The fight started around 22:30. Gane took the early lead, striking Aspinall's nose and leading in stats with 23 successful strikes to the Englishman's 15 after about four minutes. At the 25-second mark of the first round, Aspinall suffered one or two fingers to the eye, unintentionally from Gane, leading to a five-minute stoppage. Unable to continue, Aspinall prompted referee Jason Herzog to end the bout, ruling a 'no contest'.
Aspinall reacted right away: “I got a finger in the eye! What am I supposed to do?” and “It's terrible. Why are you booing? I can't continue, it's not one but two fingers in the eye.” Gane, disappointed, told RMC Sport: “I would have wanted to bring it (the belt) to France” and “We had prepared this fight so well... Sorry for Aspinall, for my camp.”
UFC president Dana White confirmed a rematch, possibly in January 2026: “He made Aspinall bleed! Tom didn't want to continue... The new fight will be very interesting” and “It pisses me off, but there will be a rematch.” Aspinall was reportedly taken to the hospital. This rare outcome, only the second in UFC history, leaves both fighters frustrated after months of preparation.