My take on why Tom Aspinall has lost a lot of credibility since the Gane fight

[GNRXI]

It's really not that complex. He was being hyped as a supreme badass, and then struggled with a guy Jones put away in record time, and he hasn't stopped whining ever since.

If he had just shut up past a "shit happens" comment, he wouldn't be in this position. I'm half expecting a four hour documentary on the eye poke at this point, set to the music of "Schindler's List".

I mentioned this in another comment but this is spot on.

Everyone downplayed JBJ's win vs Gane as a layup match for him to get the HW belt while overlooking how impressive it was in context (HW debut, first fight in 3 years, debut in a division that can end a fight in one shot, and many were questioning his wrestling prowess as he struggled to take down Reyes).

When Tom vs Gane was announced, everyone assumed it was a foregone conclusion since Tom was apparently now better than Jones and Gane would be an easy first defence. Not only did that not happen but Tom got bloodied up and used a foul to—rightly or wrongly—get out of a fight while Jon did not break a sweat to beat Gane.


Jon absolutely ducked Tom and there is no disputing that but I would actually argue it was a smart decision in hindsight since Tom would have almost certainly got eyepoked by one of the best eyepokers in the game and would have once again taken a easy way out to live to fight another day.

 

[GNRXI]

He got fouled and needs surgery as a result of that foul. He had a bloody nose, that was it. He was getting stung with jabs but he was beginning to work his way in, people saying he quit are projecting their own cowardice.

I mean he did quit—that is not really in dispute. Whether he was justified in doing so is debatable as seen through the fact we are still discussing it 2 months later.

Also, I have seen the fight numerous times and I cannot seem to pinpoint how he was "beginning to work his way in". Ciryl avoided the takedown and was displaying excellent defense against Tom's shots while piecing him up with the jabs. It was not a 10-8 round like most Tom haters make it out to be but Ciryl was piecing him on the feet.

 

[Marko Polo]

I mean he did quit—that is not really in dispute. Whether he was justified in doing so is debatable as seen through the fact we are still discussing it 2 months later.

Also, I have seen the fight numerous times and I cannot seem to pinpoint how he was "beginning to work his way in". Ciryl avoided the takedown and was displaying excellent defense against Tom's shots while piecing him up with the jabs. It was not a 10-8 round like most Tom haters make it out to be but Ciryl was piecing him on the feet.

The guy fighting on the outside always looks good, until they don’t.

 

[DEV.Woulf]

Poor Tom... we're all making fun of him while he's still dealing with post traumatic Gane-poke syndrome. Put yer two functioning eyes in his kicks, mate.

 

[Bowel-forged Stool]

Holy Fuck that gives TLDR a whole new meaning.
More then a few retarded statements.
Gane was bloodying him up even with 2 good eyes.
Tom got bopped on the nose and it bled a little. Stop acting like it was Robbie breaking Rory's nose.

Gane is a gatekeeper? WTF. Guy has only lost to Jones and Francis. Should have lost to Volkov IMO but those are elite HWs. Gatekeeper is a retarded take.

Laymen don't understand Tom's explaination of his injuries so they don't believe. How retarded is that statement? Want to understand, Tom needs surgery on his eyes. The Doctor reports don't say his eyes are injured enough? He is getting eye surgeory FFS! Its not immediate enough? Like he needs to get emergency surgery or his eyes aren't gouged enough for it to count?

If you are going to be dumb be quick about it.

I heard Tom’s eye surgery is LASIK. They say he looked in the mirror after the fight and didn’t see the baddest man on the planet anymore

 

[Superzorro]

I'm not sure what "people" were saying, but no, he's not a wrestler. He's a big, very athletic guy who trains mma, so he can obviously land takedowns. But he's not a wrestler.

Gane's a much more technical striker than Aspinall, and I figured his footwork would make it difficult for Aspinall to find early takedowns. But I suspect that, as Gane slowed down a bit, Aspinall would have either landed the takedown (and sub) or the killshot. Remember, it wasn't until round 3 in both the Francis and Volkov fights that they started to take Gane down.

Neither Ngannou or Volkov have the supposed grappling pedigree that Aspinall has. So much for the jiu jitsu black belt. Keep in mind, no one in their right mind would ever suggest a big man or heavyweight grappler base his ground game around being in the bottom position (pause). There is no excuse for poor takedowns.

 

[Superzorro]

He wasn't getting destroyed, but he was being bloodied up by a guy who the entire community started to consider a bum since he was effortlessly dispatched by Jones. Many people were not even looking forward to this fight since it was a presupposition that Tom would have an easy first defence to his name.


In actuality, none of that happened and Tom was not only bloodied up but losing a round at that point and icing on the cake had to be calling it quits—for right or wrong reasons.

I'm not a JBJ fan but the way everyone downgraded his win vs Gane while Tom (who Jon ducked) was being pieced up on the feet is pretty funny I can't lie.

Let’s not kid ourselves; Gane was starting to let his nuts hang. He didn’t utilize any of his tools outside of the jab and still appeared to be toying with Tom.

 

[Superzorro]

The guy fighting on the outside always looks good, until they don’t.

No they always look good… period. When they don’t, it’s a big surprise because the superior technical fighter getting caught by an opponent with inferior skills is a relatively rare occurrence. I don’t know what sport you’ve been watching.

 

[Thy]

Also, i think if tom comes back and becomes actually active, i think him winning would be more entertaining. If gane wins, then everyone gonna keep yapping about how weak the hw division is cause jones beat gane easily. If tom smokes gane on the rematch, then sure some people will still swing for jons nuts, but enough other people will think some other derpy crap about how toms the future of hw mma. until he loses again. But atleast there will be more potential matchups for people to be excited for i guess? I dunno man,

 

[Ozze]

For me, I don't mind that he stopped the fight. If you can't see, so be it. No one should fight on a illegal handicap.
And I also don't think he wanted an out. Some people are talking like Gane was destroying him and he was scared and with nowhere to run so he took this opportunity. I don't buy it.

Buuuuuuut. The way he's milking this thing is horrible. Like I said in another post, the dirt fingernail analysis was embarassing.
He should have just said after the fight "look, I coudn't see for shit, I'll go get my eyes checked and we reschedule this thing" and move the fuck on.

But it's like he tryed to pick a fight with the internet and of course nothing you do will be good enough, so he's just digging himself into a deeper hole. Should just shut up, get better asap and go back to a title fight.

 

[Marko Polo]

No they always look good… period. When they don’t, it’s a big surprise because the superior technical fighter getting caught by an opponent with inferior skills is a relatively rare occurrence. I don’t know what sport you’ve been watching.

Drunk?

 

[haj02]

I barely believed in him after the first Blaydes fight. There is just this recurring theme in the guys career when things get tough. Also the wearing glasses 24/7 post eye poke is just ridiculous.

 

[Kenny Powerth]

If you fought and have been poked, you get it.

If not; you hate Tom. The end.

 

[markg171]

He got fouled and needs surgery as a result of that foul. He had a bloody nose, that was it. He was getting stung with jabs but he was beginning to work his way in, people saying he quit are projecting their own cowardice.

Please tell us what exact "surgery" Tom is getting for what exact "injury"

 

[markg171]

I'm not sure what "people" were saying, but no, he's not a wrestler. He's a big, very athletic guy who trains mma, so he can obviously land takedowns. But he's not a wrestler.

Gane's a much more technical striker than Aspinall, and I figured his footwork would make it difficult for Aspinall to find early takedowns. But I suspect that, as Gane slowed down a bit, Aspinall would have either landed the takedown (and sub) or the killshot. Remember, it wasn't until round 3 in both the Francis and Volkov fights that they started to take Gane down.

You... you think Tom's best chance of beating Gane was the LONGER the fight went? Tom being the guy who wins every fight in 60 seconds and has never even gone past the 2nd round?

As opposed to Gane who has gone the distance multiple times and is infamously known for that as everybody thinks he lacks (traditional) HW power?

Wut

The fight went as anybody reasonably expected that TOM was the one who started to slow down and get teed off on by Gane when he didn't quickly get him out of there.

 

[markg171]

I mentioned this in another comment but this is spot on.

Everyone downplayed JBJ's win vs Gane as a layup match for him to get the HW belt while overlooking how impressive it was in context (HW debut, first fight in 3 years, debut in a division that can end a fight in one shot, and many were questioning his wrestling prowess as he struggled to take down Reyes).

When Tom vs Gane was announced, everyone assumed it was a foregone conclusion since Tom was apparently now better than Jones and Gane would be an easy first defence. Not only did that not happen but Tom got bloodied up and used a foul to—rightly or wrongly—get out of a fight while Jon did not break a sweat to beat Gane.


Jon absolutely ducked Tom and there is no disputing that but I would actually argue it was a smart decision in hindsight since Tom would have almost certainly got eyepoked by one of the best eyepokers in the game and would have once again taken a easy way out to live to fight another day.

You left out that Jon also got badly nut shotted by Gane at the start of the fight and still proceeded to just continue the fight and effortlessly beat him regardless of the foul.

Tom meanwhile got fouled after he was already losing and instantly wanted out of the fight he was losing instead of taking the time to recover or continue regardless. He doesn't even seem to have any inclination at all for the rematch.

Different mind sets were shown.

 

[markg171]

The guy fighting on the outside always looks good, until they don’t.

I'm sure if Tom just recklessly charged in again that time it'll work

 

[gibson5413]

 

[markg171]

I barely believed in him after the first Blaydes fight. There is just this recurring theme in the guys career when things get tough. Also the wearing glasses 24/7 post eye poke is just ridiculous.

The thing about wearing glasses all of the sudden is that, presuming it's not just a dumb gag, it's assumedly because the glasses let him see fine. But that's not an actual injury preventing him from fighting like he's claiming. There are plenty of fighters who wear glasses. They fight without them, they wear contact lenses, or they get LASIK.

If Tom's just sitting out because he doesn't want to fight without his glasses, won't wear contacts, or is waiting on LASIK (and that's the "surgery") then strip his ass.

 

[markg171]

If you fought and have been poked, you get it.

If not; you hate Tom. The end.

The entire reason the doctors do eye tests after an eyepoke is because fighters usually LIE to CONTINUE fighting regardless of if they can see or not. It's so prevalent in the sport and sport history that the doctors are there NOT to take the fighters words.

Figure us for being shocked at a fighter wanting out of their fight like us poor normies.