UFC 321's Main Event Just Ended With A Nasty Eye Poke (And Mackenzie Dern Is Finally A UFC Champion)
Unfortunately UFC 321 just came to a close in the most anticlimactic of fashions - at the end of the first round between Tom Aspinall and Cyril Gane, the champ ate a nasty eye poke that he never recovered from. It didn't look too harsh in real time, to be honest, considering it was over the eyelid, but the close-up replay was pretty nasty. Not only did Gane get him in both eyes, but he somehow dug in knuckle-deep OVER THE EYELID!
Aspinall told the referee multiple times that he couldn't see and could barely open his right eye, so it was called.
I'm sure Aspinall haters will point out the fact that Gane won the first round and looked great, and suggest that the champ was looking for a way out - but I really highly doubt that personally. He's been waiting to get into the octagon forever and seemingly enjoyed the back-and-forth while it lasted based on his demeanor before the poke. I don't think he wanted the fight to end like that.
Oh well. Shit like this happens in MMA. At least we got a new champ in the co-main event!
Mackenzie Dern came into the UFC in 2018 as one of the most highly touted prospects in women's MMA history, determined to become champion one day - and 2793 days later, she accomplished that goal in Abu Dhabi tonight. It took a decision win over Virna Jandiroba to get there, and I was admittedly watching half the fight on my phone in an Uber on my way home from the airport while trying not to get motion sickness, so I can't provide a ton of analysis on what I thought of her performance - but putting the title on her daughter afterwards was adorable….
Some would say this is a Mickey Mouse title because Zhang Weili vacated the championship to move up a weight class, and Dern/Jandiroba aren't anywhere near her as far as their fighting ability go - but I wouldn't say that. I would just say congrats!
P.S. I can't let this blog end without at least including Quillan Salkilld's insane head kick KO from before….