“Why are you booing?” Tom Aspinall fired back at UFC 321 after his first title defense against Ciryl Gane ended abruptly. The fight ended in a no-contest following an unintentional double eye poke from the French heavyweight. Still, parts of the crowd at the Etihad Arena booed Aspinall as he stood there, unable to continue. In the days that followed, critics on social media accused him of exaggerating the injury. Even months later, the allegations still follow the heavyweight champion.
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After the poke, Aspinall revealed via his social media channels that doctors had diagnosed him with Brown syndrome, which affected his vision and made even day-to-day tasks difficult. Although he has undergone surgery on both eyes, he might stay away from the Octagon for some months.
Despite this, Tom Aspinall finds himself at the receiving end of criticism. Recently, an MMA page shared a clip from Aspinall’s pre-UFC 321 interview with Nina Drama, where he mentioned experiencing “twitching” in his eye before the fight.
“You guys can call me a Tom Aspinall truther bc I just found video evidence that Aspinall had an eye issue PRIOR to his fight with Ciryl Gane,” wrote MMA Joey on X. “My best guess is he wanted the UFC to pay for his corrective eye surgery so he went into the fight with the pre-existing condition.”
You guys can call me a Tom Aspinall truther bc I just found video evidence that Aspinall had an eye issue PRIOR to his fight with Ciryl Gane
My best guess is he wanted the UFC to pay for his corrective eye surgery so he went into the fight with the pre-existing condition pic.twitter.com/JYbbnjrc2z
— MMA Joey (@MMAJOEYC) February 14, 2026
Followers who closely track the Briton’s updates pointed out that he has appeared with visibly red eyes in recent months, which went viral on social media. As a result, a large portion of the fanbase refuses to buy into the conspiracy theory surrounding his eye injury.
MMA community slams the “dumbest” theories around Tom Aspinall’s eye injury
The MMA page, MMA Joey, known for spreading wild conspiracy theories about Tom Aspinall, openly states in its bio that it is a rage-baiting account designed to provoke fans with exaggerated claims, which some fans know. One fan shut down the claim, commenting, “Stay real, don’t start with this fake rage-baiting bulls–t to get clicks.”
However, when the page claimed that Aspinall deliberately worsened his eye condition to compete in UFC 321 and secure financial support from Dana White & Co., fans quickly pushed back against the theory. Many pointed out that healthcare in the UK is free, with one fan commenting, “healthcare is free in the UK,” and another adding, “We have free healthcare in England.”
Over the years, tensions between Tom Aspinall and Dana White have simmered. Aspinall and his father have frequently criticized the UFC for bias, though White has denied it.
Despite holding the interim champion title for over 500 days, the promotion kept Aspinall away from a title shot. Then, when Jon Jones retired last summer, leaving the division in limbo for nearly 800 days, Aspinall finally claimed the undisputed championship. Some critics argued he used the situation to make money off a grudge against Dana White, but fans dismissed this.
One fan wrote, “You came from him having no issues with his eyes and being a liar to him now having a pre-existing eye issue that Ciryl Gane aggravated and forcing the UFC to pay for it? Gotcha.” Another added, “I mean it’s not the dumbest MMA conspiracy I’ve ever heard.”
Even the smallest thread of the conspiracy falls apart when fans look at Aspinall’s history. He wore spectacles until 2021, though no one knew why he switched to contact lenses. With his latest surgery, Aspinall reportedly used a Zeiss MEL 90 machine, which is also employed in LASEK to treat myopia and hyperopia while preserving tissue.
Yet, conspiracy theorists still questioned whether he faked his injury to escape the fight easily. During UFC 321, Ciryl Gane started the bout aggressively and landed heavy blows, and the eye poke happened accidentally. Still, fans shut down the speculation, with one commenting, “Yeah, he also performed a magic spell which made Gane shove his fingers into his eye.”
Now, fans are rallying behind Tom Aspinall once again. Supporters wasted no time defending him and calling out the MMA Joey page. So, what’s your take on the fan reaction to this conspiracy theory? Do you side with them? Drop your opinions below.