Ever since reclaiming the light heavyweight title at UFC 320, Alex Pereira has had his sights set on moving up to heavyweight. Following the Las Vegas event, the Brazilian star revealed in an interview that he hopes to face Jon Jones at next year’s White House card in June, marking his debut in the 265lbs division.
And after the chaotic events of UFC 321, where Tom Aspinall’s long-awaited return was cut short due to an accidental eye poke from Ciryl Gane, Pereira couldn’t resist taking a jab at both fighters and the heavyweight division as a whole. Now, a week after the Abu Dhabi card, ‘Poatan’ has shared his thoughts on whether Aspinall actually quit or if his inability to continue was justified.
Alex Pereira Shuts Down Claims That Tom Aspinall Quit at UFC 321
Reacting to the controversial heavyweight title main event, Pereira had posted a video on social media right after UFC 321 showing himself nodding with a sly smile as Aspinall told the ringside doctors and referee Jason Herzog that he couldn’t continue.
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He captioned the clip with a challenge to Jon Jones, urging him to save the 265lbs division, a call that the former heavyweight champion later accepted. However, Pereira hadn’t explained his reaction until now.
In a recent interview with MMA Hoje, the reigning 205lbs kingpin shared his thoughts on the situation. He said, “You can’t really know what happened. Only he knows.”
Offering a balanced take, Pereira added to his explanation. “I mean, we know he wasn’t doing so well in the fight, but we have seen situations where a guy isn’t doing great, then something happens, like a penalty, and the guy comes back better.”
His comment referred to the opening round, where Aspinall was tagged early and repeatedly targeted by Gane’s jabs, which even caused a busted nose.
Still, Pereira defended Aspinall against claims of quitting, saying, “Some people are saying he was faking it. Man, honestly, you can’t say that. It’s hard to understand. One poke seemed to go deeper in the eye, and he didn’t complain about it, but he grabbed the other one from the outside. But we don’t know the impact there either, you know?”
ALSO READ: Tom Aspinall Joins Halloween Fun With Hilarious Jab at Ciryl Gane
Alex Pereira reacts to Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane:
“One poke seemed to go deeper in the eye, and he didn’t even complain about it. But he grabbed the other one from the outside.
We’ve seen worse cases where the guys kept fighting. Visibly worse. But only he knows how he really… pic.twitter.com/X37qjqLlHE
— Championship Rounds (@ChampRDS) October 31, 2025
Ultimately, Pereira gave Aspinall the benefit of the doubt, concluding, “We’ve seen worse cases where the guys kept fighting. Visibly worse. But only he knows how he really felt in there.”
While figures like Chael Sonnen, Dana White, and T.J. Dillashaw have criticized Aspinall for supposedly giving up, Jones has taken things even further, changing his profile picture to a duck with an eye patch and even showing up at the DBX 4 weigh-ins on a horse wearing one.
Amid all the mockery, Pereira’s take stands out as one of the most balanced. Meanwhile, Aspinall’s condition still appears uncertain, as Andy Aspinall recently revealed. Fans now await updates on when the Englishman might return for a proper defense of his heavyweight crown.
