UFC president Dana White provided an important update on interim UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane’s title.
After Tom Aspinall announced that he would be vacating the UFC heavyweight title, it was assumed that Gane would be promoted to undisputed champion, as has been the case in the past when there was an interim champion already and the undisputed champion vacated their title.
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However, that’s not the case in this situation.
Ciryl Gane Will Have to Fight for Undisputed Title
Speaking to Sportsnet’s Diana Belbita, White confirmed that Gane will not automatically be promoted to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion. Instead, he will have to fight someone else for the undisputed belt.
“Does it make him the undisputed champion? No, he’s still gotta fight,” White said, while confirming that Gane will fight “soon.”
“We’ll see how this whole thing plays out with Aspinall and Ciryl will fight, and we’ll see who becomes the champion. I mean, this isn’t the first time this has ever happened, and it’s happening right now with Valentina Shevchenko. This is nothing new. This happens sometimes. It’s unfortunate. Not the best outcome, but it is what it is.”
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Dana White Provides Latest Tom Aspinall Update
When asked when Aspinall will fight again, White said that he doesn’t know, only that the UFC is ready for him to return whenever his eye injuries heal up.
“I don’t (have a timetable for Aspinall’s return). Obviously, whenever he feels healthy again, whenever his eyes are healed again, then we’re ready for him,” White said.
Hopefully, Aspinall can get healed up and return to the Octagon sometime in 2027, but for now, the UFC heavyweight division will move on without him.
Although Gane’s next opponent has not been named yet, he has been linked to a title fight rematch against Alex Pereira, whom he first defeated at UFC Freedom 250 to claim the interim title.
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Another option is Josh Hokit, who has been teasing big news as of late. Sergei Pavlovich is also another option as a heavyweight on a nice win streak, as is Alexander Volkov, though he currently has a fight booked.
This article was originally published on HEAVY
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