UFC title challenger sounds off on MMA referees after controversial UFC 321 eye poke

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Drew Beaupre | Last updated Oct 28, 2025 1:55 PM ET

(Giuseppe CACACE / AFP)

UFC middleweight contender Marvin Vettori has weighed-in on how MMA referees handle fouls following a disappointing ending to the main event for UFC 321.

Taking place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, UAE, UFC 321 was headlined by one of the most highly-anticipated fights of the year. After being promoted to undisputed heavyweight champion following Jon Jones’ retirement over the summer, Tom Aspinall entered the cage to kick off his undisputed title reign against former interim titleholder Ciryl Gane.

The fight was shaping up well and looked bound for a second round as time wound down during the opening frame, but an accidental eye poke from Gane brought the action to a halt before the matchup was ultimately called off and declared a No Contest.

Marvin Vettori Reacts After Foul Ends UFC 321 Main Event

The days following UFC 321 have seen fighters and fans alike share their thoughts on how the main event ended, and former title challenger Vettori took the opportunity to criticize both MMA referees and the sport’s media members for how fouls are handled.

Seeing these reporters downplaying any kind of foul in MMA, refs hardly taking points for it and the sad part a lot of these morons are former fighters also.
I think I never fouled anyone in all my fights so its definitely possible but damn right there is no point in acting…
— Marvin Vettori (@MarvinVettori) October 26, 2025

“Seeing these reporters downplaying any kind of foul in MMA, refs hardly taking points for it and the sad part a lot of these morons are former fighters also. I think I never fouled anyone in all my fights so its definitely possible but damn right there is no point in acting correctly”

Currently the UFC’s #14-ranked middleweight contender, Vettori has been with the promotion since 2014 and challenged Israel Adesanya for the 185 lbs. title at UFC 263. “The Italian Dream” has had an up-and-down run since that failed title bid, and he’s currently on the first two-fight skid of his career after dropping a decision to Brendan Allen in his most recent outing at UFC 318.

A Rough Start To Tom Aspinall's Undisputed Title Reign

Fans were obviously left frustrated by how the UFC 321 main event ended, but there's no doubt that the person most disappointed by the result is Aspinall himself.

Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Unbeaten since joining the UFC outside of a 15-second injury loss to Curtis Blaydes during the 2022 edition of UFC London, Aspinall has yet to see the judges’ scorecards as a professional fighter and has only gone past the first round once during his UFC run.

The 32-year-old won the interim heavyweight belt in late 2023 before he defended it in a rematch with Blaydes in his only appearance last year. The UFC 321 meeting with Gane represented a chance for Aspinall to finally solidify his place as undisputed heavyweight king, but a No Contest result means that the shadow of former titleholder Jones still looms large over the division.

This article first appeared on MMA on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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