UFC 321: Controversy Report

Another week, another UFC event is scared by controversy. In what was looking like one of the best heavyweight fights in a long time was ended early due to an eye poke from Cyril Gane on Tom Aspinall, deeming the fight a No Contest. Fans were left with a bitter taste, primarily considering how well the Frenchman was doing, defying what oddsmakers and most fans thought as an easy win for Aspinall. 

We will also mention a few close encounters and controversial decisions that had fans and pundits with differing ideas. 

Nathaniel Wood defeats Jose Delgado by Unanimous Decision (29-28,29-28,29-28) 

Jose Delgado came into this fight as one of the most daunting and threatening prospects in the featherweight division, riding a 7 Fight win-streak and back to back UFC finishes in Round 1. He would face Nathaniel Wood, an Englishman that fans have gotten to recognize as crafty, durable and entertaining in his well-mixed style. 

Controversy first struck upon Delgado’s weight miss, though the fight would play out on the following day. Round 1 saw a rapid start for Delgado, whose heavy spinning back-fist dropped Wood. A flurry of strikes seemingly would leave Wood behind, though the “Last Kingsman” rallied back and survived, even landing his own flash knockdown on Delgado, who would’ve secured a 10-8 round had it not been that knockdown. 

As we head into Round 2, we get to the closer rounds. Numbers were closer on significant strikes landed, with Wood outlanding Delgado 36 to 29. Moreover, Wood also added a takedown and collected 38 seconds of control time. In close fights, these moments make a difference. I had no problem giving this Round 2 to Wood and neither had any of the judges. 

Finally, the third and final round saw almost an equal number of strikes at 39 to 37 for Wood. I do believe the strikes were of equal magnitude and truly, this was the closest round of the fight, where the experience of Wood and presence, pressuring forward made the difference. This is simply Wood being crafty and knowledgeable about these longer fights, something that Delgado hadn’t seen yet. 

Overall, it was a close fight with the third round being the difference maker, though again, I wouldn’t necessarily call it a blatant robbery.

 Alexander Volkov defeats Jailton Almeida by Split Decision (28-29, 29-28,29-28) 

This was perhaps one of the most controversial fights we’ve seen recently, featuring Alexander Volkov, who had a history of close, controversial fights and Jailton Almeida, who carried a 95% Dominant Finish Rate. The concept of Damage over Control was brought into this fight, something I personally always vouch for and is in the regulations of the Unified Rules of MMA. The question here is what does one do when there is no damage, and only control? 

Round 1 saw Almeida’s entries occur with ease, as he took down Volkov and controlled him for over 2 minutes and a half, only to get reversed and hit with some heavy shots, 15 of them by Volkov, who also had 2 minutes and a half of control time. Personally, there is no debate here. The damage was all on Volkov’s end and all judges agreed on it. 

Round 2 was another unanimous round for judges as all three agreed that Almeida had done enough to win, landing three takedowns having 4 minutes of control time and even landing two more significant strikes than Volkov. Again, not entertaining but simply the facts. 

As we head into Round 3, scorecards are even, with fans frustrated at Volkov’s inability to deal with Almeida’s dominant wrestling gameplan. Almeida again gathered three takedowns this round, with Volkov showing no ability to defend a single one of them this round, while getting controlled for 4 minutes once more. This time however, Volkov managed to land two more significant strikes than Almeida. Despite those, he threw a total of 77 strikes, though only 7 were as significant and able to cause any damage. Do we really believe that Volkov’s two significant strike edge did more damage towards Almeida? 

While judge Mike Bell correctly scored the round for Almeida, judges Tony Weeks and Clemens Werner scored it for Volkov. Almeida’s performance, while boring and not worthy of a title shot, was enough for him to get a win. Volkov’s damaging shots in the third round were on par with Almeida’s, while being on his back for 4 entire minutes. A controversial score-card for a dull fight, showcasing the scarcity of the heavyweight division. 

Tom Aspinall and Cyril Gane end their fight by No Contest due to Gane’s Accidental Eye Poke. 

The anticipation for an undisputed heavyweight title fight is always going to be high. Tom Aspinall was praised by many as the leader of the new generations of heavyweights. Carrying the lowest ever average fight time in history, rapid finishes and the performances to back it, many expected that he would make quick work of Cyril Gane. The fight, however, was a different story. 

While we saw Aspinall aggressive early, as is normal, we also saw Gane manage the distance correctly, landing from the outside, utilizing his reach and fighting behind his jab. It was so effective that it even bloodied up the champion, while forcing a failed takedown attempt. While Gane did have this success, Aspinall wasn’t too far behind, considering striking numbers saw Gane up only 3 Significant Strikes. What we do know is that this would be a different Tom Aspinall fight. 

The double eye poke with 24 seconds left in the clock did not look too awful initially, though upon the replay it is clear how bad it truly was. A double eye-poke, with the finger being pressed all the way inside the eye of the champion. That seemed painful and it is understandable why he was unable to continue.

Fan reaction of frustration towards Tom isn’t fair, considering he was the one that got hit with the illegal infraction, something Gane has done before. It is a shame to look at this Gane’s performance as a waste, considering his effective striking, positive mindset and creative gameplan. What we now have is a completely new storyline in the heavyweight division and  a second fight with a much more curious buildup, compared to their initial matchup. 

Hopefully, the eye injuries sustained by Aspinall recover rapidly. Initial medical exams have already determined no long-term damage. Additionally, both fighters should be in good health. Some fans have even considered this fight for a triple headliner in the last UFC PPV of the ESPN era. Three title fights is always something fans love to see, and perhaps this could be the case here. 

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