The eye-poke incident in Abu Dhabi has added another chapter to the string of unfortunate moments in Tom Aspinall’s career. What makes this setback even harder to swallow is that the Englishman made his long-awaited return to the Octagon after a fourteen-month layoff, fully healthy and eager to finally defend his title. Aspinall’s path to this moment was already filled with frustration, as months of stalled negotiations with Jon Jones only ended when ‘Bones’ retired, elevating Aspinall to undisputed champion by default.
Now, next The Disastrous Ending of UFC 321fans hope they won’t have to wait long to see him make his first official title defense. Fortunately, former middleweight champion Michael Bisping believes there is a solution.
The UFC Hall of Famer has suggested a way to end the Aspinall vs. Gane fight to be rebooked as soon as possible, giving fans hope that this 265-pound rivalry can finally be settled properly.
Michael Bisping wants UFC to end the ESPN era with a bang
The former 185-lbs kingpin believes the promotion will quickly launch Aspinall vs. Gane could turn back. According to Michael Bisping, the rematch could happen as early as UFC 323 on December 6, which is not only the final pay-per-view of 2025, but also the UFC’s final PPV event on ESPN before a new broadcast deal with Paramount kicks off in January 2026.
Speaking about the latest episode of his Do you believe me podcast with Paul Felder, Michael Bisping said: “The rematch is going to be even bigger. They’re going to turn it back very quickly. They can set it up.” [the Madison Square Garden card]they could post it at the end of the year [UFC 323].”
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Michael Bisping Says UFC Could Stack UFC 323 With Three Title Fights Including Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane 🏆🔥
“The rematch is going to be even bigger. They’re going to turn it back very quickly. They can put it on MSG at the end of the year. They have Pantoja and Joshua Van, and… pic.twitter.com/WHuyvUspw0
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) October 28, 2025
For those who don’t know, UFC 323 is already shaping up to be huge. Merab Dvalishvili will defend his fourth bantamweight title of the year against Petr Yan, while the co-main event will see Alexandre Pantoja defend his flyweight crown for the fifth time against Joshua Van.
Michael Bisping added, ‘They have it [Alexandre] Pantoja vs. Joshua Van, and they have Merab [Dvalishvili] vs. Petr Yan. Stick a third title fight on top of that – the last on ESPN – end of an era, go out with a bang with three title fights. They don’t have to make any weight. Both men learned something from what we saw.”
Former UFC middleweight champion Michael Bisping suggested the UFC should end its ESPN partnership with a blockbuster card featuring three title fights, something rarely seen in recent years. The promotion typically limits numbered pay-per-view cards to two championship fights, with three-title events reserved for special occasions.
One of the most A memorable example was UFC 217where Michael Bisping himself headlined against Georges St-Pierre in what would be the Canadian legend’s final fight. That event, held at Madison Square Garden, also saw TJ Dillashaw regain the bantamweight belt from Cody Garbrandt and Rose Namajunas dethrone Joanna Jedrzejczyk for the strawweight title.
Other notable three-title cards include UFC 245, UFC 259, UFC 261 and, most recently, UFC 300, which saw the light heavyweight, strawweight and symbolic BMF titles on the line. Although Dana White has hinted at an immediate rematch between Aspinall and Gane, that scenario seems unlikely at the moment.
Andy Aspinall recently published a worrying update on his son’s conditionrevealing that Tom still cannot see with his right eye, while his left eye is only functioning at about 50 percent. Given the severity of his injury, a quick turnaround may not be possible, but if Michael Bisping’s suggestion comes to fruition, UFC 323 could mark a spectacular end to the ESPN era.
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