Tom Aspinall`s eye poke incident at UFC 321 continues to spark debate among fighters, with Jiří Procházka now weighing in on the controversy.
During his inaugural defense of the undisputed heavyweight championship, Tom Aspinall suffered a double eye poke from challenger Ciryl Gane towards the conclusion of a fiercely contested first round. Unable to continue the fight, Aspinall`s initial title defense disappointingly concluded as a `No Contest`.
Numerous prominent fighters have already commented on the unfortunate incident, and former light heavyweight champion Jiří Procházka has become the latest to share his thoughts on whether Aspinall could or should have persevered.
Jiří Procházka: Victory Would Have Been “Essential”
Having cultivated a significant fanbase since entering the Octagon, the former light heavyweight champion Procházka is another notable figure to offer his perspective on the Aspinall situation.
Echoing the sentiments of former interim lightweight champion Dustin Poirier, the Czech star Procházka asserted that, regardless of the severity of an eye poke, achieving victory would be his paramount concern in such a scenario.
“I genuinely don`t know the extent of the injury in last week`s title fight, but for me, winning is paramount.”
Notably, Procházka himself experienced a significant eye poke in his return to the cage following an unsuccessful rematch against his long-standing adversary, Alex Pereira.
Jiří Procházka`s Unyielding View on Eye Pokes
Earlier this year, the former Rizin FF star Procházka returned to his winning form, securing a compelling victory over fellow ex-champion Jamahal Hill.
During his third-round knockout triumph over the “Contender Series” alumnus, Procházka was accidentally poked in the eye by the Illinois fighter, causing a momentary halt to the bout.
After the fight, Procházka articulated his perspective on eye pokes and other fouls when questioned by the assembled media.
“I`ll cooperate with the doctor, but there`s no way I`d stop a fight due to an eye poke. I still have another eye. This is a true warrior`s sport.”
“Whether you have vision or not, it doesn`t matter. Fight until the very end.”
