UFC champ Tom Aspinall still struggling to see after controversial eye poke: ‘It’s bad’

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall still cannot see out of one eye after suffering a double eye poke in his controversial championship bout against Ciryl Gane on October 25.

“(The doctor) said it’s bad, not good. His eye is a little bit more closed than it was. His right eye still can’t see anything. Said it’s gray,” Aspinall’s father, Andy, revealed Tuesday in a YouTube video.

“He was tested on words, and he just couldn’t see anything. His left eye is about 50 percent. He got through about four letters on the eye chart and then just couldn’t see any more. So one eye is really, really blurry, and the other still isn’t functioning.”

The UFC 321 main event in Abu Dhabi this past weekend ended in a no contest after Gane accidentally poked Aspinall in both eyes late in the first round. Aspinall, 32, did not regain vision in his right eye during the mandatory five-minute medical break, which led officials to rule the match a no contest.

Fans expressed frustration and booed during Aspinall’s post-match interview inside the Octagon.

“Guys, I just got poked knuckle-deep in the eyeball. Why are you booing?” Aspinall (15-3) asked. “What am I supposed to do about it? I didn’t do the poke. I can’t see.”

Gane expressed remorse over the incident. UFC President Dana White also confirmed plans to book a rematch between the two fighters.

“I’m feeling sorry,” Gane said, according to the Associated Press. “I’m very sorry about that.”

Andy Aspinall added that while there is no tear in his son’s eye, the doctor warned the damage is “really bad.” Additional tests are scheduled for later this week to assess the full extent of the injury.

Expressing frustration with the sport’s rules, Andy criticized the lack of consequences for the fouling fighter compared to the lasting effects on his son.

“The guy who fouled him faces no consequence, and there’s a consequence to Tom. Hopefully, he’ll be alright, but it might not be,” Andy said at the start of his video.

As Tom Aspinall continues his recovery, fans and the MMA community await updates on his vision and the upcoming rematch with Ciryl Gane.
https://nypost.com/2025/10/29/sports/ufcs-tom-aspinall-struggling-to-see-after-eye-poke-in-troubling-update/

H-1B Visas Have Become a Boon for “So-Called American Companies”

“So-called American companies say they have no choice but to use the H-1B program because they ‘can’t find Americans for these jobs,’” says InvestAzoria CEO James Fishback.

“Here’s the ugly truth,” he writes, “they’re not even looking for Americans. They refuse to interview them. They hide job postings in obscure newspapers to ‘check the box,’ and when no one ‘applies,’ they import another foreign worker—denying yet another qualified American a job, a wage, and the dignity and purpose that come with both. It’s disgraceful. It’s time to finally and fully dismantle the H-1B scam.”

A community note correctly points out that the postings are required by law and are legal, but this does not change the main point. American companies prioritize H-1B visa holders and abuse the program. They aren’t genuinely seeking American candidates.

Currently, several companies are suing against the $100,000 fee per applicant that President Trump imposed. The former president has vowed to fight these legal challenges.

### The Program Is an Exercise in Abuse

The H-1B visa program is often criticized for being exploited by employers to replace American workers with lower-paid foreign labor, particularly in the IT sector. This practice leads to wage suppression and raises national security concerns.

Originally, the program was designed to fill jobs that are specialized and hard to fill with American workers. However, widespread abuses have undermined the job market for Americans and fueled concerns about its integrity.

Ongoing investigations and regulatory changes aim to address these issues and ensure the program serves its intended purpose without harming U.S. workers.

### Legal Challenges to the $100,000 Fee

The Trump administration is preparing to defend its controversial new H-1B visa policy in federal court, following a wave of lawsuits challenging the $100,000 fee imposed on new visa applicants. The administration argues that this fee hike is necessary to protect American jobs and restore integrity to the skilled worker program.

However, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce contends that the new $100,000 fee is unlawful because it overrides requirements set forth in the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA). Specifically, the litigation asserts that visa fees must be based on the government’s actual costs in processing visas—a benchmark that the six-figure fee drastically exceeds.

In addition to the Chamber’s filing, a broad coalition of unions, employers, educators, and religious groups has filed separate lawsuits in federal courts across Washington, D.C., and California. These groups claim the fee is “arbitrary and capricious” and argue it will ultimately harm critical U.S. industries relying on high-skilled foreign talent.

### Impact on the Tech Sector

The tech sector, including companies like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google, heavily utilizes the H-1B program to fill specialized roles. These legal battles reflect deep divisions over how to balance the needs of American workers with the demand for skilled foreign labor.

Despite these challenges, critics argue that many corporate interests represented by groups like the Chamber of Commerce have little regard for protecting American workers. Instead, their agendas often prioritize access to cheaper foreign labor.

As debates continue, the future of the H-1B program remains uncertain. Policymakers must carefully weigh the interests of American workers, employers, and national security to craft a fair and effective skilled worker visa system.
https://www.independentsentinel.com/h-1b-visas-have-become-a-boon-for-so-called-american-companies/

Former ESPN star does not hold back on transgender athletes

Former ESPN star Samantha Ponder has never been one to hold back her true feelings on controversial topics, and she was at it again this week. Ponder took to social media to express her displeasure after her daughter was forced to guard a player who she described as “an obviously naturally born boy” during a middle school basketball game — an experience she claims has “happened many times” in New York City.

“It’s happened many times now living in NYC. Yet another basketball game today where my middle school daughter is guarding an obviously naturally born boy in a girls tournament. The parents cheer while the boy is physical and dominant against the girls. The all-girls team loses,” Ponder wrote in a post on X on Sunday afternoon.

She continued to share her frustration with the parents of the young student she believes is a transgender athlete. “We’ve taught our kids to never make fun of the kid, to always be kind and loving. That the parents are the problem. That no kid is born in the wrong body. But if I’m honest, watching my daughter get posted up by a boy whose parents have deceived him in this way is maddening,” Ponder added.

Despite her concerns, Ponder made it clear she enjoys living in New York City, calling it “the greatest American city,” and emphasized that she doesn’t want to simply leave. “To everyone saying ‘just move!’ I understand the sentiment but IMHO NYC is the greatest American city that has lost its way. I want to fight for truth and love. I don’t want to give in to insanity and darkness. This is still America,” she wrote.

Samantha Ponder’s post highlights the complex and often emotional discussions surrounding transgender athletes in youth sports, especially in highly diverse and competitive environments like New York City.
https://thecomeback.com/politics/samantha-ponder-transgender-athletes.html

Andrew Tate Vs Arthur Hayes Bitcoin Prediction – Who’s Right?

Bitcoin extended its losses this week, plunging below $104,000 and triggering a wave of panic across crypto markets. While BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes urged investors to treat the dip as a buying opportunity, influencer Andrew Tate forecasted a far deeper crash. The two figures’ sharply opposing outlooks underscore the uncertainty gripping the digital asset sector.

Bitcoin, which hit a record $126,198 on October 7, has fallen more than 17% in ten days amid renewed US-China trade tensions and growing banking stress.

### Bulls and Bears Collide Over Bitcoin’s Fate

Bitcoin dropped nearly 2% on Friday, extending a four-month low, according to Coingecko. The decline followed reports of financial strain at Zions Bank and Western Alliance Bank, fueling fears of wider contagion.

Arthur Hayes dismissed the panic as short-term noise. He wrote on X, “BTC is on sale,” adding that if the ongoing US regional banking troubles deepen into a full crisis, investors should prepare for a bailout similar to 2023.

“Be ready for a 2023-like bailout,” Hayes wrote, urging followers to “go shopping” if they have spare capital.

Hayes’ remarks highlight his confidence that renewed financial instability could drive capital back into digital assets. “If bailouts happen again, the rebound will be stronger than 2023,” he said.

However, on-chain data points to sustained selling. Over 51,000 BTC reportedly moved from miners to exchanges last week, likely for liquidation. Exchange-traded fund flows also showed $536 million in daily outflows, marking four red days in five.

Economist Peter Schiff joined the bearish camp, arguing that Bitcoin has lost 34% of its value against gold since its peak. “The idea of Bitcoin as digital gold has failed,” Schiff said, calling this phase “the beginning of a brutal decline.”

### Andrew Tate Predicts Pain Before the Peak

Andrew Tate, a controversial influencer and former kickboxing world champion, predicted that Bitcoin could plunge to what he described as the September 2023 level of $26,000 before staging a major rebound. He argued that traders’ “blind optimism” was keeping the market from finding a true bottom.

In his post, Tate delivered a vivid monologue to his millions of followers, warning that “everything can always get worse.” His central message was clear: “the price can always go lower.”

Tate’s tone was blunt and pessimistic, consistent with his reputation. The former athlete has faced multiple criminal charges in Romania, including rape, human trafficking, and money laundering—allegations he denies. Despite his legal troubles, Tate remains highly influential online, promoting what he calls a “war room” philosophy centered on wealth and dominance, often through crypto speculation.

He claimed that the market would only recover once “everybody has lost all their money,” calling that moment the true start of a new bull cycle.

### Market Outlook: Between Fear and Opportunity

Hayes’ optimism and Tate’s pessimism represent two poles of sentiment in a market caught between fear and opportunity. Whether Bitcoin rebounds or sinks further, the contrast between rational accumulation and apocalyptic bravado highlights the psychological extremes shaping today’s crypto trading narrative.
https://bitcoinethereumnews.com/bitcoin/andrew-tate-vs-arthur-hayes-bitcoin-prediction-whos-right/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=andrew-tate-vs-arthur-hayes-bitcoin-prediction-whos-right