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TOM ASPINALL GETS REMARKABLE ADVICE AFTER SHOCKING UFC 321 INJURY

Tom Aspinall's UFC 321 interim heavyweight title fight vs Ciryl Gane ended in a no-contest after a brutal eye poke. Aspinall was hospitalised, with Dana White confirming an immediate rematch is likely.

Tom Aspinall Gets Remarkable Advice After Shocking UFC 321 Injury
Tom Aspinall was told he should have fought on against Ciryl Gane despite admitting he couldn't see - COURTESY/PHOTO

After having an eye poked during his main event fight against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321, Tom Aspinall was advised he should have fought with one eye. Aspinall made his first appearance in the octagon in fifteen months on Saturday in Abu Dhabi, where he had previously defeated Curtis Blaydes to retain his interim heavyweight title.

The 32-year-old fighter from Manchester started the bout as the favourite but was bloodied by the Frenchman in the first few minutes of the bout. Before the battle's sudden conclusion, Gane, 35, looked the part while competing in his third and possibly final UFC title fight.

The champion was in agony after 'Bon Gamin gave him a gory double eye poke during the first round. As the five minutes allotted for his recuperation came to an end, Aspinall told the physician and referee, Jason Herzog, that he was losing vision in one eye.

Due to his admission, the fight—the first in Aspinall and Gane's professional careers—was declared a no-contest. Aspinall also kept his title as a result of the no-contest decision, but under regrettable circumstances.

He was taken to the hospital right away, where medical professionals informed him that ending the struggle was the right thing to do, even though he would not sustain any long-term eye damage.

Because the MMA community was so excited about the two fighters eventually facing off, frustration was high. Former UFC fighters Anthony Smith and Chael Sonnen shared their opinions on the contentious conclusion of the bout during the ESPN post-fight broadcast.

Sonnen asserted that Aspinall ought to have endured the agony, even if it meant he could only see with one eye. "To be honest, if you are the world's heavyweight champion, you have to fight with one eye at times," the American insisted.

"We have a very different conversation if you get poked in the eye and you are hurt, but in our sport, that is usually just something you have to push through if you get poked in the eye and you can not see," he continued.

In his post-fight press conference, UFC boss Dana White expressed his disappointment, saying, "I feel the way everybody feels, Great showing, s—-y ending, you know?

"Ciryl Gane looked amazing tonight, and I believe that many people wrote him off after the Jones fight. It was going to be a good fight, and it appeared that we would be in for a few rounds.

White responded, "Total pain in the a– but sure," when asked if a rematch between the two would be the best course of action in the heavyweight decision, given Alexander Volkov's victory over Jailton Almeida earlier in the evening.

I think there will likely be a lot more interest in the rematch if they say, "You know, [Gane] had Tom bloodied up and Tom did not want to continue in the fight." It is terrible that it finished the way it did.

"The rematch is intriguing, then. To be honest, I never discuss the next fight in this way; the rematch is the logical course of action right now."

MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES TRADE JAREN JACKSON JR. TO UTAH JAZZ IN 8-PLAYER BLOCKBUSTER

The Memphis Grizzlies have traded Jaren Jackson Jr. to the Utah Jazz, creating a record $28.8 million trade exception for 2026.

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Grizzlies finalise Jaren Jackson Jr. deal

The Memphis Grizzlies turned heads on Tuesday, pulling off a blockbuster trade that sent two-time All-Star and former Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr to the Utah Jazz. Along with Jackson, the Grizzlies shipped out Vince Williams Jr, John Konchar, and Jock Landale. Coming back their way: Walter Clayton Jr, Kyle Anderson, Georges Niang, and, maybe the most important part, three future first-round picks.

And honestly, it feels like Memphis isn’t done stirring the pot. Inside the organisation, they see Zach Edey and Cedric Coward as the future. Both went late in the lottery in the past two drafts, and the Grizzlies landed some value in the second round this year, too, grabbing Jaylen Wells and Cam Spencer.

All this movement means Ja Morant’s future in Memphis suddenly looks shaky. He’s been the face of the franchise since they took him No. 2 overall back in 2019. When he’s healthy, he’s electric—no question. But injuries and off-court drama have slowed him down, and now, with the trade deadline closing in, the Grizzlies are openly shopping him. Teams around the league are watching.

There’s another wrinkle here: by dealing Jackson, Memphis created a massive trade exception—$28.8 million, the biggest in NBA history, according to ESPN’s Bobby Marks and Shams Charania. It’s a huge chess piece. With that exception, the Grizzlies can absorb big, ugly contracts from other teams in exchange for more draft picks. Think of what the Thunder did a few years back—stockpiling picks by taking on bad deals until they rebuilt into a contender.

Now, you’ve probably heard Giannis Antetokounmpo’s name floating around in trade rumours. He hasn’t officially asked out of Milwaukee, but everyone in the league expects something to happen soon. Teams like the Timberwolves and Knicks are circling. The Grizzlies? They’re not likely to chase Giannis directly. But with that trade exception, they could play a big role as a third team—taking on salary dumps or unwanted contracts, collecting more picks, and helping another franchise pull off the Giannis blockbuster. Memphis just put itself squarely in the middle of the NBA’s hottest rumour.

KLINT KUBIAK SNUBS NFL RIVALS TO LEAD RAIDERS’ NEW ERA UNDER TOM BRADY

The Las Vegas Raiders are zeroing in on Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak as their next head coach, with Tom Brady leading the search.

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Klint Kubiak is set for the Raiders as Seahawks coach faces the New England Patriots

The Las Vegas Raiders are in the middle of a huge shakeup right now. Klint Kubiak, the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks, is set to become their new head coach—and honestly, he’s nothing like Pete Carroll.

Kubiak’s still in his 30s, calling plays on offence, while Carroll just wrapped up last season as the NFL’s oldest head coach. The Raiders had their eyes on Ben Johnson previous year, but when he decided to take the Bears job, they turned to Carroll instead.

This time, Las Vegas seemed to have that same level of interest in Kubiak, but they had to wait things out because Seattle was still in the playoffs. Tom Brady, who’s a minority owner with the Raiders, clearly played a big part in picking the new coach.

Since nothing’s official until after the Super Bowl, Brady can’t come right out and talk about Kubiak joining the team. Still, he didn’t hold back when it came to sharing what he liked about the guy.

“Klint’s played to his team’s strengths. Last week, he did a ton of good things against a really strong Rams defence,” Brady said on the “Let’s Go!” podcast. “That’s what it took for them to win. The Rams are a tough team. That game in Seattle could’ve gone either way... Seattle really had to play a complete game in all three phases to pull it out, and they’ll need to do the same this weekend in Santa Clara.”

Brady also talked about Fernando Mendoza.

Another big reason the Raiders’ coaching job is so appealing? They’ve got the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. Everyone expects them to grab Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

Brady doesn’t have to be secretive about it—nobody’s jumping ahead of them in the draft. He was pretty open about how much he likes Mendoza.

“What do I value most? When I see him, he’s always talking up his teammates. He wins the Heisman, and he’s giving credit to everyone else,” Brady said. “That’s the kind of attitude you want in a leader.”

Kubiak focused on the Super Bowl, not the job switch.

Kubiak’s career is about to take off, but right now, he’s locked in on trying to win his first Super Bowl. So, he isn’t ready to talk about the Raiders just yet.

“I’m coaching the Seahawks in the Super Bowl, and that’s all I’m thinking about,” Kubiak told reporters on Monday. “I’m just excited for this week and this game.”

Not everyone in Seattle is thrilled to see Kubiak go. Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold had nothing but praise after working with him this year.

“He was unbelievable,” Darnold said Monday. “The stuff I picked up from Klint—just with schemes, and then learning from him as a coach and a person—the grit. He’s up before the sun, gets to the facility at 4 or 4:30, and leaves later than anyone. The guy just grinds. He loves football, and he’s always straight with his players. I know I really appreciated that, and so did the rest of the guys.”

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