Tom Aspinall’s UFC 321 eye-poke controversy sparks Sean O’Malley’s bold claim about missed Jon Jones White House clash

On October 25, 2025, at the UFC 321 event in Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena, heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall faced challenger Ciryl Gane. The fight ended in a no-contest after an accidental eye poke by Gane left Aspinall unable to continue.

Former bantamweight champ Sean O’Malley says that the unexpected outcome may cost Aspinall the chance to fight Jon Jones at the upcoming “White House” card, a high-profile bout that could define Aspinall’s career.

Sean O’Malley believes Tom Aspinall lost his White House fight chance with Jon Jones after eye poke

Sean O’Malley says that if Tom Aspinall had won cleanly at UFC 321, the heavyweight division would have been “a lot more fun”. He pointed to a possible clash against Jon Jones at the upcoming UFC White House event (scheduled for June 2026) as a major opportunity now threatened by the anticlimactic ending.

O’Malley remarked, “If Tom goes out there and wins, what happens to his career after that? That’s the Jon Jones potential fight at the White House… There is so much that Tom missed out on because of the super unfortunate, sad [outcome]…”He further noted that both Jones and Aspinall’s immediate rival, Alex Pereira, appear reluctant to face him now, so the window may be closing for a legacy-defining match.Also Read: Jon Jones Brutally Mocks Tom Aspinall After Shocking UFC 321 Eye-Poke Controversy Leaves Heavyweight Title Disputed

Tom Aspinall’s title defense takes shocking turn after eye poke leaves future fights in question

On that night in Abu Dhabi, Tom Aspinall was defending his heavyweight title for the first time since being named undisputed champion earlier in 2025.

The bout started competitively, but with about 30 seconds left in round 1, Ciryl Gane accidentally poked Tom Aspinall in both eyes. Medical staff intervened and the fight was ruled a no-contest as Aspinall could not continue. Immediately after, UFC President Dana White confirmed that a rematch is on the cards, saying: “Great showing, shitty ending … we will make sure [the rematch] happens as soon as possible.” But for Tom Aspinall, the cost may go beyond just a rematch. The loss or rather, the missed chance may hinder his shot at a marquee fight with Jon Jones at the White House event.

As Sean O’Malley suggests, the scene was set for Aspinall to step up; now the question is whether the momentum remains.Adding to that, Jon Jones has publicly stated that he finds Aspinall “annoying” and that he would only fight him for a very large payday. With this mix of injury drama, booking delays and cash demands, Tom Aspinall’s career path might shift in ways he hadn’t planned unless he recovers strong and quickly seizes the rematch opportunity.