UFC commentator Joe Rogan believes Ciryl Gane was on the verge of dethroning Tom Aspinall before the abrupt UFC 321 stoppage.
One of the UFC’s most disappointing moments in 2025 was the abrupt stoppage of the UFC 321 headliner between undisputed heavyweight champ Tom Aspinall and former interim champ Ciryl Gane. Just minutes into the fight, Gane accidentally poked Aspinall in both of his eyes, and Aspinall couldn’t continue fighting.
The fight was ruled a no-contest, and the bout could be rescheduled for later this year. Gane will face former UFC light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira for the interim heavyweight belt at UFC Freedom 250 this summer.
Joe Rogan, who was keeping a keen eye from afar on Aspinall vs. Gane, believes the abrupt stoppage at UFC 321 was one of the lowest points in MMA history.
Joe Rogan: ‘Biggest crime’ that Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane was stopped
In a recent episode of The Joe Rogan Experience, Rogan weighed in on Aspinall vs. Gane and what the short-lived fight showed about the undisputed heavyweight champ.
“It’s a crime in the sport that the fight with Aspinall got stopped the way it did. It’s a crime, because that fight was playing out in a very interesting direction because Aspinall was having a really hard time touching that guy,” Rogan said of Aspinall.
“He was getting busted up, touched up a lot. Ciryl’s jab is legit! And how many times has he been to the second round? My thought was: the real problem that Aspinall was going to present is in the grappling, he’s a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt, big f—-, fast and has a great [double-leg]. But when he was standing there in front of Ciryl Gane, this was the first time that he was facing a guy who was agile, quick, and very technical.
“Ciryl Gane was doing a lot of sneaky s—.”
As of this writing, it’s uncertain when Aspinall will be medically cleared to return to the Octagon. He recently underwent another surgery on both of his compromised eyes and still has vision issues.
Do you agree with Joe Rogan’s stance on Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane? Let us know in the comments!