By the time referee Jason Herzog waved off the main event of UFC 321, the sound that filled Abu Dhabi’s Etihad Arena wasn’t cheers; it was confusion. Thirteen thousand fans had packed the venue expecting a new era of heavyweight dominance, but instead, they got 4 minutes and 35 seconds of brilliance followed by disbelief.

Tom Aspinall’s first undisputed title defense ended not with a knockout, but with an accident, a double eye poke from Ciryl Gane that left the British champion unable to see. And yet, before chaos struck, there was something brewing inside the Octagon. Something subtle.

For the first time since Jon Jones’ abrupt retirement ended his reign, the UFC heavyweight division had life. Gane looked different, composed, sharp, and deliberate. Aspinall, usually a storm in m

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