Jan 22, 2022; Anaheim, California, USA; Francis Ngannou (red gloves) celebrates after the fight against Ciryl Gane (blue gloves) during UFC 270 at Honda Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

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“Lose-Lose Situation” – Francis Ngannou Backs Tom Aspinall After UFC 321 Eye Poke Fiasco

Eye pokes have plagued the UFC for years now. Fighters extend their fingers during exchanges, and accidents happen. The glove design hasn’t helped matters much either. Fans have complained about this issue for what feels like forever. Yet the problem persists, showing up at the worst possible moments. And Tom Aspinall knows this all too well after his recent title defense.

The British heavyweight champion faced Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi. Things were going fine until disaster struck in the opening round. Gane accidentally poked both of Aspinall’s eyes with his fingers during an exchange. The champion couldn’t see properly after that. Officials had no choice but to rule the bout a no contest before the round even ended. Fans weren’t happy about it at all.

Francis Ngannou Steps In For Tom Aspinall

Former UFC heavyweight king Francis Ngannou had some thoughts on the controversy. He defended Aspinall’s decision to stop fighting during his chat with TMZ Sports. The Cameroonian powerhouse didn’t mince words about the situation either. He pointed out that the eye poke generated more buzz than the fight itself.

“Tom Aspinall was in a lose- lose situation. If he kept fighting and lost, fans would have said how stupid he was for fighting with compromised vision.”

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Ngannou confirmed the eye poke was legit and serious. It wasn’t some minor inconvenience that fighters push through. The injury compromised Aspinall’s vision in a way that made continuing downright dangerous. Fighting blind in the octagon? That’s asking for trouble.

Why Vision Matters More Than Fans Think

Ngannou(17-3) broke down why eye pokes differ from other injuries. Getting kicked in the groin hurts like hell, sure. But you recover after a few minutes and get back to business. Eye pokes are a different beast altogether. Your vision stays compromised throughout the fight.

“The eye poke is not like you get kicked in the balls and you can recover and come back. It compromises your vision.”

The former champion made a compelling point about safety too. Combat sports require all your senses working at full capacity. When your vision goes sideways, everything becomes exponentially more dangerous. You can’t see punches coming your way properly. Timing gets thrown completely off. Distance management becomes nearly impossible.

Dana White has already promised a rematch as soon as possible. No specific date or card has been announced yet. Aspinall keeps his heavyweight title since the result was a no contest. Gane gets another shot at championship gold after looking good before the accident.

(Image Credit: Gary A. Vasquez – Imagn Images)

Ciryl Gane

Francis Ngannou

Tom Aspinall

UFC 321

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!