For Tom Aspinall, UFC 321 was supposed to be his grand coronation. The heavyweight king, finally defending his undisputed crown, walked into Abu Dhabi ready to cement his place at the top. Yet, in just under five minutes, the night spiraled into chaos. A stray finger from Ciryl Gane abruptly ended what was shaping up to be a heavyweight classic.

At 4:35 of the first round, Aspinall stepped back, clutching his eye. Referee Jason Herzog halted the fight. The Brit struggled to open either eye, and moments later, it was all over, a no-contest, the first ever in a UFC title fight, caused by an accidental foul. Now, as the dust settles, the call for a rematch is echoing loudest from a familiar voice, former champ-champ Daniel Cormier!

Daniel Cormier rallies behind Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane rematch “as early as December”

Few know the agony of a no-contest like Cormier. After all, his own title fight with Jon Jones at UFC 214 was ruled a no-contest after it was revealed that Jones had failed a pre-fight dr*g test. So when he watched Aspinall’s misfortune unfold, Cormier knew exactly what needed to happen next.

Speaking on the ESPN MMA YouTube channel after the fight with fellow commentators Laura Sanko and Jon Anik, Cormier stated, “Tom Aspinall got poked in the eye on both sides, and unfortunately, people booed him, but Ciryl Gane, to that point, was fighting a great first round. Granted, Tom was getting his in too, but it was a good first round, it was competitive, and it looked like we were watching the two best heavyweights in the world. I want to see them fight again as early as December if we can.”

Cormier wasn’t just impressed; he was captivated. He pointed out that Gane came forward, showing a level of aggression not often seen in his fights as he continued with “We had a fight, Ciryl was aggressive, he didn’t back up, and Tom was loving it. That’s what I like the most. Tom is smiling like, ‘Yo, this is what I’ve been waiting for, someone to actually fight me.’ Hey man, if this dude’s eye is good, put him in this. I want to see these dudes fight.”

And honestly, who doesn’t? Jon Jones’ retirement earlier this year left a crater in the heavyweight landscape. Aspinall’s coronation as undisputed champ should have restored order. Instead, UFC 321 plunged the division back into uncertainty. With Jones gone, and contenders like Sergei Pavlovich and Curtis Blaydes already beaten by Aspinall, the rematch with Gane feels less like an option and more like a necessity.

Before the eye poke, both men looked razor-sharp. Gane’s jab and leg kicks were precise, his right hand found Aspinall’s nose early, and his movement was crisp. Aspinall, for his part, found success with speed and pressure, even shooting for a takedown that Gane managed to shrug off.

It was technical, tactical, and intense, everything fans expect from elite heavyweights. So what happens now? Well, Daniel Cormier isn’t the only one who thinks a rematch between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane is the logical next step!

Dana White is frustrated with UFC 321’s main event ending as he confirms interest in booking the rematch

UFC CEO Dana White echoed the sentiment, though his tone carried a mix of admiration and frustration. The night was supposed to crown a dominant champion, not end in medical confusion and fan outrage.

As such, at the post-fight press conference, the UFC boss stated, “I feel the way everybody feels. Great showing, sh— ending, I think that after the [Jon] Jones fight, a lot of people wrote Ciryl Gane off. He looked damn good tonight. It looked like we were in for a few rounds, and it was going to be a good fight.”

Still, the controversy didn’t end when the bell rang. As Tom Aspinall clutched his eye and refused to continue, boos echoed through the Etihad Arena. Some fans even speculated that the champion chose not to restart because Gane was gaining momentum. Was that fair criticism, or just the emotional backlash of a crowd robbed of closure?

White, for his part, refused to join the witch hunt as he further confessed, “I can’t make people fight. If I want to put together a fight, I can’t make people fight. You definitely can’t make somebody continue if they feel they’ve been injured. Only Tom knows what happened. Could he see? Couldn’t he see? Could he continue? Only he knows that.”

Within minutes, Aspinall was rushed to a local hospital. The result, a no-contest, left the division in limbo once again. Yet even amid the chaos, White was quick to outline the path forward as he shared, “Total pain in the a– but yes [we’ll book the rematch]. They’re both in shape, other than whatever’s wrong with his eye. Both guys are not injured. As soon as possible.”

So, Daniel Cormier wants it. Dana White has all but confirmed it. And truthfully, it’s hard to argue against it. The heavyweight division, already bruised by inactivity and retirements, needs clarity. More importantly, it needs closure.