Aljamain Sterling has not backed down from what many have called one of the worst opinions in recent MMA memory.
The former UFC bantamweight champion had questioned how Tom Aspinall handled the eye poke incident at 321, and has not changed his tune, even after the full story came to light.
The single heavyweight title bout of 2025 concluded in a no-contest at the UFC 321 main event. This was due to Ciryl Gane committing flagrant fouls that caused an injury to the Briton, rendering him incapable of continuing the fight.
Despite the clear eye pokes, some fans and fighters doubted Aspinall and accused him of faking. They were proven wrong when the 32-year-old underwent double eye surgery for his continued impaired vision.
Despite that, Sterling did not change his mind.
Aljamain Sterling refuses to back down on Aspinall eye poke comments
In a video posted after UFC 321, Sterling questioned whether Aspinall ended the fight prematurely.
He stated: “Was he milking it? Was he using his best Aljamain Sterling acting attributes to take home the gold? I know you think I’ll be on the same side as Tommy, but I am not.
“From what he posted, it looks like everything is okay. He wasn’t even complaining about that eye (that got poked the worst).
“The reason why I think this does not look good, Tommy Aspinall was losing that fight. Right away, the guy is saying, ‘I can’t see.’ You can’t say, ‘I can’t see.’ We know that is the nail in the coffin.
“If you actually want your five minutes to try to recover, you can’t use those words.”
‘Funk Master’ also pointed out that when he won the bantamweight title against Petr Yan via disqualification, he made sure to take his full recovery time after being hit with an illegal knee.
Sterling’s comments resurfaced on social media following new reports about Aspinall’s ongoing issues, and they were widely criticized as one of the worst takes by an MMA fighter.
However, he stood by his original remarks.
Sterling wrote on X: “Nope. Everything I said was fair and valid.
“NEVER did I say he was faking, lying, or exaggerating. Your brain just (doesn’t) seem to comprehend an in-depth look into the whole scenario.
“My point remains: of course you can’t see right after being double eye poked, we know the fight ending words ‘I can’t see’, and Tom should’ve waited a bit to see IF there was a chance he ‘could’ continue.”
Tom Aspinall ‘hates the business’ after the reaction to his eye injuries
The heavyweight champion has taken plenty of stick from some fans and even from figures within the sport. For instance, even Dana White publicly cast doubts on his decision not to continue at UFC 321.
Given everything that has happened, it is easy to see why Aspinall’s view of MMA as a business has soured.
“I love martial arts. I absolutely love it. I’ll never stop loving it, but I just hate the business.
“I think that fighters are just completely replaceable and the business will make you feel like that any chance it gets. Even if you get hit with an illegal move, which could affect the rest of your life, they don’t really give a s—. And no one else does either,” he told Uncrowned’s Petesy Carroll.
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