UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall suffered severe eye damage following a foul from Cyril Gane, resulting in a no-contest in Abu Dhabi. The injury required surgery on both eyes, delaying his return to competition. The fallout didn’t stop inside the Octagon either.Public reaction quickly became heated. Some people online questioned the legitimacy of Aspinall’s injury. In the post-fight press conference, UFC president Dana White said the champion “didn’t want to continue fighting.” This comment caught the attention of the entire MMA community. Former UFC fighter Brendan Schaub believes the comments fueled online attacks against the British heavyweight.
Brendan Schaub slams Dana White for allegedly supporting Tom Aspinall’s online hate
Tom Aspinall and Dana White. Image courtesy of Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC, Getty Images
Brendan Schaub addressed the situation in a video posted to his X account. He categorically denied claims that Aspinall exaggerated his injuries. “Do you know how stupid you are?” Schaub said of those who doubted Aspinall’s injury.“A guy who grew up in a jiu-jitsu dojo and has given his whole life to it, who is the baddest guy on the planet? Why is he faking this? Because it’s Cyril Gane? Nobody’s scared of Cyril Gane. It’s a great matchup for Tom.“The great thing about Dana is he shoots from the hip,” he continued. “He just says what he says. You know what Dana will say right after the fight.“But the thing is, it gives energy… so the rest of the UFC trolls jump on it and it just lights a fire on top.”Aspinall later aired his frustration in a video documenting his eye surgery. He separated his passion for combat from his dissatisfaction with the combat industry.“I love martial arts,” Aspinall said. “I absolutely love it, and I’m never going to stop loving it, but I hate this business.“Fighter jets are completely fungible and this business will make you feel that way if given the chance.Even if you get caught illegally, it can affect you for the rest of your life, but they don’t really (care) about it. And no one else does anything like that,” he added.
Daniel Cormier expresses concerns about Tom Aspinall
Additionally, former champion Daniel Cormier expressed concerns about the heavyweight division. On his YouTube channel, he questioned the depth of the entire class.“The heavyweight division is struggling right now,” Cormier said. “So what we really need is the best players fighting to erase bad performances. Why? Derrick Lewis’ last game in Las Vegas, that wasn’t good. It just wasn’t good. Waldo Cortez-Acosta , he’s been beaten again. He’s a good player, but he’s losing games. But it’s not a good spot. What do you think if you put Waldo Cortez-Acosta in there with Cyril Gane and Tom Aspinall?In any case, the debate surrounding White and Aspinall is far from over, as it has been discussed online for quite some time.
