In the lead-up to his first title defense against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321, Tom Aspinall lightheartedly predicted how things might go inside the Octagon. “We’re going for a five-round split decision, close fight, win. The crowd will be booing after a couple of minutes, and just maintain that slow pace for five rounds. That’s what we’re going for,” the Briton joked. But when fight night arrived at the Etihad Arena, reality played out in a far harsher way.

The British heavyweight’s dream of a five-round battle never materialized; only the part about the “booing” came true. The card delivered nonstop action from the prelims through the co-main event, building massive anticipation for the heavyweight title clash. Fans expected a violent back-and-forth between two of the division’s most talen

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