Tom Aspinall admits relationship with fans ‘has turned’ after eye pokes at UFC 321

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall addressed some of the narratives from fans after suffering multiple eye injuries at UFC 321.

Tom Aspinall’s first undisputed heavyweight title defense ended disastrously at UFC 321 last year.

Just minutes into his fight with former interim titleholder Ciryl Gane, Aspinall was injured by multiple eye pokes that forced him to be unable to continue fighting. The fight was ruled a no-contest and left Aspinall with vision issues that require surgery to repair.

Since UFC 321, Aspinall has embraced more of a ‘heel’ role after he was booed out of the arena by fans. Some of his fighting colleagues, including TJ Dillashaw and Aljamain Sterling, questioned Aspinall’s heart and the severity of his injuries.

Many fans defended Aspinall amidst Jon Jones’s lengthy hiatus last year. But those fans have since turned on him in the weeks following the Gane fight.

Tom Aspinall admits his relationship with fans has deteriorated since UFC 321

In a recent vlog filmed with Paddy Pimblett, Aspinall opened up on the backlash he’s received since UFC 321.

“I think a lot of the time my success, my record, that record I’ve got, and finishing fights really quick — like if I don’t finish the fight in the first minute, people think I’m looking s—,” Aspinall said.

“No, we’re just evenly matched and we’re having a fight. I’ve not punched him properly yet. It’s been pretty smooth sailing as far as fans with me, but the tide has turned. But I’ve got a lot of good stuff as well, it’s not all bad.

“It just thickened my skin a little bit, and you’ve just got to see it for what it is. Dirty b——, he just needs to cut his fingernails.”

Aspinall has repeatedly labeled Gane a ‘cheater’ since UFC 321. A rematch between Aspinall and Gane is likely for later this year once Aspinall is deemed medically cleared to compete.

In the meantime, Gane has been linked to a potential matchup with Alex Pereira amidst Aspinall’s ongoing hiatus. Upon Aspinall’s return, expect tensions to be at an all-time high between the two behemoths.