UFC champion Tom Aspinall said he requires more tests to determine the extent of the damage caused to his eye during his bout with Ciryl Gane.
Aspinall was on the receiving end of an unintentional eye poke from Gane on Saturday as the two fought for Aspinall's heavyweight title in the main event of UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi.
He was taken to a local hospital for tests after the fight had been declared a no-contest by referee Jason Herzog with only 25 seconds of the first round remaining.
The decision elicited a furious reaction from the 13,000 crowd at Etihad Arena, prompting Aspinall to question why he was being booed.
"I just got poked knuckle deep in the eyeball," he said in his post-fight interview. "Why are you booing? I can't see. I can hardly open my eye. Look! It was a double eye poke," he said when the replays were shown on the big screen.
It is not the first time Aspinall, whose pro MMA record stands at 15 wins, three losses and now one no-contest, has been injured in the octagon.
In 2022, Aspinall blew out his knee seconds into a fight with Curtis Blaydes, with the official decision a TKO win for the American.
It would be 12 months before the Englishman would return to action.
Aspinall, who was defending his title for the first time since being anointed the champion in June following Jon Jones' retirement, said the injury he suffered against Gane was worse than the one he suffered against Blaydes.
"It was way scarier than what I did to my knee," Aspinall said in a video posted on his official YouTube channel. "Because with my knee, I knew it was going to be alright. I still don't know how this is going to be.
"We're just waiting for further results. We've got to do more tests in the UK. Flying back today [Sunday], and we'll go from there. I'm not sure when I'll be ready to let everyone know what's going on.
"Thank you for all the support. See you soon."
Aspinall's father, Andy, meanwhile, said: "It's a horrendous thing to think as a parent. I know what it's like these days with people saying what they want.
"But when it's your son, and they could lose an eye, and their health, and they've got children to look after. Something needs doing about it. It's horrendous to look at [the eye poke incident]."
Frenchman Gane insisted the poke was not intentional, and they are far from uncommon in mixed martial arts.
UFC president Dana White was asked in the post-fight press conference if the incident would prompt the world's lead mixed martial arts organisation to look at the design of fighters' gloves, in which the fingers are exposed.
White dismissed the idea, saying the incident was “one of those things – what are you gonna do?”
He confirmed that a rematch between Aspinall and Gane would take place once the former was healthy again.
WISH
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Fines for littering
In Dubai:
Dh200 for littering or spitting in the Dubai Metro
Dh500 for throwing cigarette butts or chewing gum on the floor, or littering from a vehicle.
Dh1,000 for littering on a beach, spitting in public places, throwing a cigarette butt from a vehicle
In Sharjah and other emirates
Dh500 for littering - including cigarette butts and chewing gum - in public places and beaches in Sharjah
Dh2,000 for littering in Sharjah deserts
Dh500 for littering from a vehicle in Ras Al Khaimah
Dh1,000 for littering from a car in Abu Dhabi
Dh1,000 to Dh100,000 for dumping waste in residential or public areas in Al Ain
Dh10,000 for littering at Ajman's beaches
The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
India squads
T20: Rohit Sharma (c), Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul, Sanju Samson, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey, Rishabh Pant, Washington Sundar, Krunal Pandya, Yuzvendra Chahal, Rahul Chahar, Deepak Chahar, Khaleel Ahmed, Shivam Dube, Shardul Thakur
Test: Virat Kohli (c), Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane, Hanuma Vihari, Wriddhiman Saha (wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Ravichandran Ashwin, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, Umesh Yadav, Ishant Sharma, Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Tottenham v Ajax, Tuesday, 11pm (UAE).
Second leg
Ajax v Tottenham, Wednesday, May 8, 11pm
Games on BeIN Sports
MATCH INFO
France 3
Umtiti (8'), Griezmann (29' pen), Dembele (63')
Italy 1
Bonucci (36')
Last 10 NBA champions
2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2
more from Janine di Giovanni
Business Insights
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What vitamins do we know are beneficial for living in the UAE
Vitamin D: Highly relevant in the UAE due to limited sun exposure; supports bone health, immunity and mood.
Vitamin B12: Important for nerve health and energy production, especially for vegetarians, vegans and individuals with absorption issues.
Iron: Useful only when deficiency or anaemia is confirmed; helps reduce fatigue and support immunity.
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA): Supports heart health and reduces inflammation, especially for those who consume little fish.
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MATCH INFO
What: 2006 World Cup quarter-final
When: July 1
Where: Gelsenkirchen Stadium, Gelsenkirchen, Germany
Result:
England 0 Portugal 0
(Portugal win 3-1 on penalties)
BABYLON
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Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
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FA Cup quarter-final draw
The matches will be played across the weekend of 21 and 22 March
Sheffield United v Arsenal
Newcastle v Manchester City
Norwich v Derby/Manchester United
Leicester City v Chelsea
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
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Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
RESULTS
2pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
Winner: Najem Al Rwasi, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Ahmed Al Shemaili (trainer)
2.30pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Fandim, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri
3pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Harbh, Pat Cosgrave, Ahmed Al Mehairbi
3.30pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 (D) 1,700m
Winner: Wakeel W’Rsan, Richard Mullen, Jaci Wickham
4pm: Crown Prince of Sharjah Cup Prestige (PA) Dh200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner: Jawaal, Fernando Jara, Majed Al Jahouri
4.30pm: Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Cup (TB) Dh200,000 (D) 2,000m
Winner: Tailor’s Row, Royston Ffrench, Salem bin Ghadayer
Tips from the expert
Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.
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