Arnold Allen warns Tom Aspinall on eye-poke backlash: 'People just hear you whining'

As Tom Aspinall’s eye-poke no-contest against Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 continues to ripple across the heavyweight landscape, it’s the champion's reaction outside the cage that's drawn some of the harshest scrutiny. Yet while Aspinall fields waves of criticism, historically level-headed UFC featherweight contender Arnold Allen has stepped forward in his defense.

Allen, 31, knows a thing or two about public pushback. He’s well-versed in long layoffs, injury cycles and the often thankless grind of recovery updates fans claim they want but rarely receive with understanding. So when he watches the reigning heavyweight champion get hammered for explaining the reality of his compromised eyesight and uncertain timeline, he sees a pattern — and a predictable one.

Speaking this week on Uncrowned's "The Ariel Helwani Show," Allen didn’t mince words about Aspinall’s situation or the outrage swirling around it.

"It's such a tough one, because I really feel for him, and I don't think he — he definitely didn’t quit. And he's definitely not, like, whatever — I don't think he's lying about his situation," Allen said. "But the more you put it out there, and the people don’t want to hear it — people don’t care, right?"

To Allen, the dynamic is familiar. Injuries aren’t just physically draining — they’re emotionally exhausting, especially in the social media era where nuance is often lost, and fans seemingly prefer narratives over facts. Watching Aspinall share medical updates only to be accused of excuse-making reminded Allen of his own attempts to reassure supporters during career setbacks.

"Obviously my situation is a lot different, but I know when I've been injured, if I put a video out there doing rehab work, saying I'm planning to come back or something, people don’t give a s***. People just hear you whining," Allen said.

"You say, 'Ah, I'm hoping to fight soon, but I'm still injured.' People don't like [that]. Most fans don’t go, ‘Hope you’re OK, see you soon.’ They’ll be like, ‘F***ing inactive bum.’ So I think that’s just the kind of the s*** we’re dealing with these days, with young fans maybe. You know the guys, the faceless Twitter accounts — those guys."

Aspinall, who was shelved for more than a year before Jon Jones’ retirement elevated him to undisputed champion, now finds himself caught between medical reality and fan impatience. The no-contest against Gane has not spared him from accusations of quitting or exaggerating, and with 2026 around the corner, his immediate future remains uncertain.

As for Allen, the veteran featherweight will help launch the UFC's upcoming 2026 calendar. Having not fought since July 2024, Allen returns against Jean Silva at UFC 324 on Jan. 24 in Las Vegas.