Ante Delija was not blissful to see teammate Tom Aspinall get badly poked within the eye this previous weekend at UFC 321, leading to Aspinall’s title protection in opposition to Ciryl Gane being declared a no-contest.
Scheduled to co-headline UFC Vegas 110 seven days after Aspinall vs. Gane—and fewer than two months after his personal fast UFC win over Marcin Tybura—Delija instructed reporters at media day on Wednesday that officers ought to hand out greater punishments for fouls comparable to eye pokes.
“I actually don’t perceive,” Delija stated by a translator. “I had 33 fights and I by no means poked any individual within the eye, and I do consider the punishment for that ought to be extreme.”
“I believe he did an ideal job with not persevering with,” Delija stated. “If extra fighters do the identical factor, I believe we are able to forestall the identical factor from taking place once more.”
UFC CEO Dana White indicated Aspinall and Gane will instantly rematch for the title in 2026, and Delija is assured in Aspinall’s victory after seeing them within the octagon for lower than 5 minutes.
“For my part, Tom is a greater fighter generally and I did see that in that struggle as nicely,” Delija stated. “So I consider he’s going to win undoubtedly within the subsequent struggle.”
Delija faces Waldo Cortes-Acosta this weekend in Las Vegas, a fighter who was driving a five-fight successful streak earlier than dropping a choice in opposition to Sergei Pavlovich this previous August. A win over him leads Delija to larger alternatives within the division, however he’s not essentially title photographs proper now.
“He’s actually, actually expensive buddy of mine and I do consider with that assertion he actually confirmed his character,” Delija stated. “I might additionally not struggle in opposition to him for the belt.”
