Tom Aspinall’s father and coach, Andy, has disclosed that his son continues to experience vision impairment in his right eye after sustaining a severe injury over the past weekend.
The reigning heavyweight champion was scheduled to defend his title at UFC 321 against Ciryl Gane. During the bout, Gane displayed a strong performance in the first round, landing effective jabs and fighting skillfully despite being on the defensive.
However, in a turn of events towards the end of the round, Gane accidentally poked Aspinall in both eyes, prompting a brief pause in the fight. Referee Jason Herzog allowed Aspinall a five-minute break to recover, but concerns arose when Aspinall reported vision issues to the ringside doctor and referee. Consequently, the match was called off and deemed a no contest.
Following the match, Aspinall was swiftly taken to the hospital for further evaluation, as reported by All Out Fighting. After undergoing assessments in Abu Dhabi, Aspinall returned to the UK for additional medical examinations. Subsequently, Aspinall Sr provided an update on his son’s condition post UFC 321.
In a recent video on Aspinall’s YouTube channel, he shared details of his eye specialist consultation, revealing the severity of the injury. Aspinall’s right eye remains completely blind, while his left eye has only 50% vision. Additional tests, including a CT scan, are planned to assess his condition further.
After the incident, members of Aspinall’s team expressed astonishment at the handling of the situation with the French contender. Video footage post-match showed Aspinall reviewing the eye poke incident, expressing frustration at the lack of consequences for the repeated warnings.
The upcoming UFC event features Steve Garcia facing David Onama in Las Vegas on November 1. The preliminaries are scheduled to commence at 8 pm UK time, with the main card starting at 11 pm UK time. In the headline fight, Onama is expected to enter the cage around 2 am UK time. UK viewers can catch the live action on TNT Sports.
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