As the dust settles, UFC's night of horrors could haunt or heal the heavyweight division

For the heavyweight division, UFC 321 was a Halloween special — all tricks, no treats.

For champion Tom Aspinall, a night that was supposed to be a coronation became a cornea-raking catastrophe, as Ciryl Gane’s critic-silencing start was cut short by his own outstretched fingers. Intentional or not, multiple gouges from the challenger left Aspinall unable to continue after four minutes of action, forcing the weight class back into an all-too-familiar holding pattern.

After waiting nearly two years to progress the heavyweight championship conversation, UFC now must rematch the matchup most people viewed as a consolation due to Jon Jones’ change of heart. Fans, be it from the stands in Abu Dhabi or watching around the world, (mostly) parted ways with their hard-earned cash for a contest at UFC 321 that gave them no closure or a sense of finality.

UFC and the sport at large have already moved on from Saturday’s no-contest, fixing their gaze on a forgettable offering at the APEX this weekend. Gane left town with a newfound belief and a whole lot of people enthusiastically insisting that he had the English giant exactly where he wanted him.

Aspinall, on the other hand, spent the night at an Abu Dhabi hospital hoping to regain his vision. Since returning home to Lancashire, he has undergone several batteries of tests, but other than that it’s been more of the same, as his father confirmed in a recent update — the heavyweight champion still could not see out of his right eye three days after the incident.

By all measurements, this past Saturday was a disaster for a struggling division. However, could it be that UFC 321’s unwanted speed bump provides a brighter future for the heavyweight class?

Redefined rivalry

The only positive brought about by Aspinall’s injuries is that he was probably unable to see some of the ludicrous reactions the fight provoked. The idea that the person fouled is to blame for a contest being cut short is absurd, but Gane performing beyond expectations will make a second meeting much more appetizing.

While behind-the-scenes footage revealed that a patient start was part of Aspinall’s strategy, Gane drew first blood by busting the Brit’s nose and out-struck the champ by three shots. Most agree that Gane got the better of the brief action that unfolded, which has led to widespread speculation about how the rest of the contest would’ve gone had the action resumed.

Pending Aspinall’s recovery, a rematch between the two European heavyweights will have a very different build. Gane’s display helped him step out of the shadow cast by his two unsuccessful prior championship attempts. Based on the sneering reactions Aspinall faced in the aftermath of UFC 321, many will question the champ’s ability to overcome adversity when he gets a second crack at his French foe.

Despite both men often being celebrated for their pleasant demeanors, something tells me there will be a lot more fire between them for the rerun given the circumstances that clouded their first collision.

Jones vs. Pereira

Based on their social media posts in the wake of the bout, Alex Pereira and Jon Jones cared little about what transpired at the Emirates Arena. Jones cited the respect Pereira showed him — Pereira delaying his callout of the legendary former champion due to the death of Jones’ older brother — before nodding to a potential 2026 meeting at the White House. “Poatan” posted a video of himself watching UFC 321 alongside an uncryptic cluster of emojis that accepted Jones’ invitation.

Understandably, in the lead-up to UFC 321, Aspinall’s head coach and father, Andy Aspinall, disapproved of the idea of the two superstars facing off. However, with unfinished business between Aspinall and Gane suddenly to be settled, the runway seems a little clearer to land the superstar showdown.

Jon Jones vs. Alex Pereira? It makes more sense now than ever before.

(Jeff Bottari via Getty Images)

It doesn’t help Aspinall to have a heavyweight clash taking place that provokes more intrigue than any championship bout could, but the hope is that the winner of Jones vs. Pereira would hang around for a crack at the Wiganite further down the line. Granted, there will be substantial doubt if Jones wins, given his well-documented unwillingness to fight Aspinall, but most believe “Poatan” would be keen to accept the challenge.

It also doesn’t help that the chasing pack did little to inspire enthusiasm on a night that was built to be a showcase for the heavyweight division.

The pacing pack

Alexander Volkov left Abu Dhabi as the No. 1 contender. The only problem is that he claimed the status in an utterly forgettable three-round bout with action-allergic Jailton Almeida. Some saw it as order being restored due to the controversial decision Gane won over the Russian at UFC 310, which earned Gane the shot at Aspinall in the first place.

However, a massive obstacle UFC will encounter in selling a Volkov title shot is the fact that the champion already went through him like a hot knife through butter, submitting Volkov in just one round when they met in London three years ago.

LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 19: (R-L) Tom Aspinall of England punches Alexander Volkov of Russia in a heavyweight fight during the UFC Fight Night event at O2 Arena on March 19, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) — We already saw Tom Aspinall vs. Alexander Volkov in 2022. It did not go well for the Russian.

(Chris Unger via Getty Images)

Valter Walker’s heel-hook of debutant Louie Sutherland provided the actual biggest heavyweight highlight of the night. Hamdy Abdelwahab’s elongated win over Chris Barnett obviously didn’t inspire much excitement at UFC HQ, as the Egyptian was seemingly handed his marching orders in the days since the event.

With Aspinall already wiping out the top half of the division, perhaps this forced impasse will allow a new contender to emerge. After the Englishman admitted a reluctance to face his surging teammate Ante Delija, matchmakers will be secretly hoping Waldo Cortes Acosta can claim an upset win to propel himself into contention at UFC Vegas 110 this weekend.

Yet as fans and pundits argue over what should happen next, it’s easy to forget that the heavyweight king sits at home, unable to see the bigger picture — or much of anything at all. A generational talent wrongly lambasted for circumstances beyond his control, Aspinall would trade every hot take for the comfort of knowing his vision will return.

Let’s hope we get a positive update on that sooner rather than later.