Chael Sonnen recently offered his thoughts on Tom Aspinall’s eye injury at UFC 321, implying that the Brit should have continued fighting.

UFC 321: Dana White issues update on Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane rematch after no contest

Aspinall’s first title defense of his undisputed heavyweight crown in the main event of UFC 321 ended on a devastating note as his opponent Ciryl Gane unintentionally poked him in the eye at the end of the first round.

The Brit was in a lot of pain, leaving him unable to continue. As a result, referee in charge Jason Herzog ruled it out as a no contest, sparking mixed reactions from the MMA community.

Credit Where Credit Is Due: Chael Sonnen Knows His Stuff

During the post-fight show, Sonnen took aim at Aspinall for not fighting despite being the world’s heavyweight champion:

”Being poked in the eye is illegal Brendan, but to fight with one eye is very common. The opponent is trying to hit your eye; he’s trying to bust you up and make your nose bleed. So that part of it, it does have a question mark for guys like Anthony and I. We are trying to be polite. We are trying to show grace, but in all fairness, you’re the heavyweight champion of the world. You’ve got to fight with one eye at times.”

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

He continued:

”I thought the fight was turning out to be a little bit harder than perhaps Tom [Aspinall] expected. I have one concern with Tom, and this is not his fault, but it is because he’s so darn good. But the reality is he’s finished six guys in the first round. He’s never been to a third round of a fight just for an example. So the question is how are you going to respond when things get tough?”