Should the UFC run back Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane?
MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn takes a look at what should happen next after the no-contest finish to the UFC 321 main event.
Daniel Cormier thinks Ciryl Gane will have his work cut out for him whenever he enters the octagon for a rematch vs. Tom Aspinall.
After their UFC 321 headliner ended in a disastrous no contest due to Gane (13-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) poking Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) in the eyes, it is expected the pair will immediately run it back.
UFC CEO Dana White said it’s the plan, and if that’s the case, UFC Hall of Famer and commentator Cormier thinks Gane will enter at a disadvantage.
“The rematch got a lot harder for Ciryl Gane, regardless of if Tom respected him this time,” Cormier said on his “Good Guy/Bad Guy” podcast with Chael Sonnen on ESPN. “Because now, Tom Aspinall is going to know what Ciryl Gane can do and has felt him.”
There has been much discourse in the aftermath of UFC 321 and whether Aspinall should’ve attempted to continue fighting despite his vision being badly compromised.
Cormier said it was a difficult decision to go through, and although he sees room for where the criticisms have come in, he agrees the final outcome was correct.
“Tom Aspinall, I like a lot – I think he can be a great heavyweight champion,” Cormier said. “I don’t know how Tom didn’t recognize there’s one statement you cannot say, only one. Only thing there you absolute cannot say inside of a fight, and that’s, ‘I can’t see.’ Once you say, ‘I can’t see,’ there’s not coming back from it. The fight is over.
“Live to fight another day. If you can’t see and you’re the reigning, defending champion. If you don’t see, then don’t fight. You’ve got too much to lose. We always try to measure the smart decision vs. the honorable decision. I thought Anthony Smith was very honorable when Jon Jones kneed him when he was on the ground. I also thought Anthony Smith was dumb. He should’ve took the win, went home as the champion then came back and collected some pay-per-view points in the rematch. That’s just me. Honorable vs. Smart, I think Tom Aspinall just made the smart decision and that ultimately upset a lot of people.”
