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This wasn't how it was supposed to end.

Whether you are a Tom Aspinall fan or a Ciryl Gane supporter - we all wanted a straightforward conclusion.

Gane will feel he had started well before the eye poke and Aspinall might suggest he was beginning to find his feet.

Either way, we're going to get the rematch and there might even be some bad blood in the build-up.

Read more from Paul Battison's cageside report.

We did see one new champion crowned tonight, though, with Mackenzie Dern beating Virna Jandiroba for the vacant strawweight belt.

Until next time.

What has this result done for Alexander Volkov?

The Russian beat Jailton Almeida earlier tonight and proclaimed "I'm now the number one contender."

Volkov was hoping to get the winner of Tom Aspinall or Ciryl Gane next but that's unlikely to happen now with a rematch on the cards.

UFC President Dana White speaking to media after the fight: "I feel the same way everyone feels. Great showing, bad ending. After the [Jon] Jones fight, a lot of people wrote Gane off. He looked damn good tonight.

"It looked like we were in for a few rounds, and it was going to be a good fight."

When asked if a rematch will be booked: "Yes. Total pain, but yes."

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It really does feel like Tom Aspinall can't catch a break.

Cast your mind back to July 2022 and he suffered a serious knee injury - tearing his medial collateral ligament (MCL) and his meniscus, and sustaining damage to his anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) - in the first round against Curtis Blaydes.

After surgery and a long rehabilitation he returned 12 months later.

The Mancunian was also denied a dream fight with then undisputed champion Jon Jones and was only upgraded from interim to outright status after the American retired.

Now his first defence of that undisputed belt ends in a no-contest.

Before the fight was stopped, it was evenly balanced in the striking department.

Ciryl Gane was doing the most damage despite trailing in significant strikes department.

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After being poked in the eyes Tom Aspinall referee Jason Herzog called timeout to allow the Briton five minutes to recover - in the same way fighters are afforded that time if they receive a foul shot to the groin.

The UFC only introduced that five-minute break for an eye poke in 2022.

It became clear quite quickly that Aspinall was not going to be able to continue and he was seen by the cageside doctor, who said "I have no immediate concerns about the globe (another name for the eyeball)."

But as the seconds started to run out it, Aspinall told the referee and doctor "I can't see, mate" and Herzog opted to wave off the fight as a no-contest.

If the referee had deemed Ciryl Gane to have intentionally poked Aspinall in the eye then he could have disqualified the Frenchman and the result would read as a win on the Mancunian's record.

Either way - no-contest or disqualification - Aspinall would retain his belt.

Paul Battison
BBC Sport in Abu Dhabi

UFC president Dana White says Tom Aspinall in currently on his way to the hospital.

When asked if he plans to book a rematch with Ciryl Gane once Tom is fit and healthy again, he said "yes".

"A total pain. But yes," he added.

Daryl Hammond
BBC Sport Producer in Abu Dhabi

It's hard not to feel for Tom. After being made to wait 454 days since his last UFC bout, his first title defence ends in a no-contest and likely a trip to the hospital.

A lot of hard work for both men put on pause.

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It was only a couple of days ago that the UFC announced their final numbered event of the year to take place in December when Merab Dvalishvili will defend his bantamweight title against Petr Yan at UFC 323.

You'd think Tom Aspinall will need a few weeks to recover from this injury and the earliest he can get back in the cage will be January at UFC 324, but even that might be ambitious with other title fights already in the works for that event.

Hugely frustrating for Aspinall but also for the rest of the division.

PFL light-heavyweight Derek Brunson on X: "Wow the fight ended with an eye poke no contest... The heavyweight division is cursed or what!!!"

Former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad on X: "Gane was doing well in the first round… does this now change your opinion on how Jon vs Tom would go?"

Former UFC welterweight champion Belal Muhammad on X: "Gane can’t be mad you clearly poked him learn to keep your hands closed. If they want to get rid of eye pokes, they need to take a point away instantly."

Former UFC featherweight Megan Anderson on X: "After the whole Jon Jones/Tom Aspinall drama, having this fight end in a no-contest is the absolute WORST thing possible for the heavyweight division right now. I guess they reschedule the bout now?"

Daryl Hammond
BBC Sport Producer in Abu Dhabi

Some journalists in the press room are already worried about the narrative some might spin about Aspinall going forward.

"People will say he knew he was down in the round and took the easy way out."

We've just seen further replays of the incident and it looks bad.

Gane's extended fingers poke into both of Aspinall's eyes. It's no surprise he couldn't see out of one of them.

If the referee had deemed the poke to be intentional then he could have ruled it to be a disqualification but he was clear in his call that Gane did not intend to do it.

How long is this going to hold the division up for now?

Ciryl Gane said: "I feel sorry. I'm sorry for the crowd, for the fans, I'm sorry for Tom Aspinall and sorry for myself.

"We put a lot of energy in this fight so I'm disappointed but this is the sport, this is life.

"I don't know what is going to happen for the future but we will see."

Daryl Hammond
BBC Sport Producer in Abu Dhabi

A lot of understandable anger in the crowd upon the declaration of a no-contest.

That quickly turned to understanding for some as the arena was shown a gnarly close-up replay of the incident.

UFC lightweight Terrance McKinney on X: "After the replay the other eye seem to have got it worst than the one he was holding."

British UFC featherweight Arnold Allen on X: "Man that’s rough for Tom, double eye poke."

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall speaking after the fight was declared a no-contest: "Guys, I just got poked knuckle deep in the eyeball. Why are you booing? What am I supposed to do about it? I didn't do the poke. I can't see.

"The fight was just getting going. I can hardly open my eye. Look! It was a double eye poke!"

Daniel Cormier
Retired two-weight UFC champion on TNT Sports

Gane was fighting wonderful. The jab was on point, he had the champion bust up.

Image source, Getty Images

Aspinall wants to leave the octagon but he's being told he needs to move to the centre of the octagon to hear the official result.

Neither fighter has their arm raised and there is a half-hearted fist bump between them.

Aspinall is going to do a post-fight interview and he's asking the crowd why they are booing.