"This guy’s a world champion" - Khabib Nurmagomedov's manager slams critics questioning Tom Aspinall’s toughness after eye-poke incident

Khabib Nurmagomedov's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, recently spoke out against the criticisms aimed at Tom Aspinall for voluntarily quitting during UFC 321 fight.

Aspinall faced Ciryl Gane for his first heavyweight title defense fight last weekend. The bout began with fast-paced striking exchanges, but just before the end of Round 1, Gane accidentally poked Aspinall in both eyes. Aspinall objected, and the referee, Jason Herzog, paused the action.

After an inspection, Aspinall stated that he was struggling with his vision and would not continue. Consequently, the bout was declared a no-contest. Aspinall immediately faced backlash, as the crowd at the Etihad Arena responded with boos.

In a post on X, Abdelaziz defended Aspinall and questioned the criticism he received, writing:

Get the latest updates on One Championship Rankings at Sportskeeda and more

"If you’ve never been poked in the eye before, you shouldn’t be talking. This guy’s a world champion — do you really think he’s going to quit on himself? Getting poked in the eye can leave you half-blind for hours. It’s extremely uncomfortable — sometimes you’re seeing double or even triple."

Check out Ali Abdelaziz's comments below:

---

When Khabib Nurmagomedov's manager called for Tom Aspinall vs. Francis Ngannou fight

Tom Aspinall made his UFC debut in 2020. At that time, Francis Ngannou was recognized as the top heavyweight fighter. Ngannou won the title by defeating Stipe Miocic at UFC 260 and later successfully defended it against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 before leaving the promotion.

Earlier this year, there were speculations about Ngannou potentially returning to the UFC. Amid that, Khabib Nurmagomedov's manager, Ali Abdelaziz, proposed a matchup between Aspinall and Ngannou.

In a post on X, Abdelaziz wrote:

"I’m really excited about the UFC Heavyweight division. I think Tom Aspinall can go down as one of the greatest Heavyweights to ever do it. I think him vs Francis Ngannou can be one of the biggest fights the UFC can put on."

Edited by Nilaav Gogoi