Tom Aspinall Will Defend His Heavyweight Title Against Ciryl Gane in Abu Dhabi
The undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall, will defend his title for the first time against Ciryl Gane on October 25th. The main event will be at UFC 321, which will be held at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, as announced by UFC CEO Dana White.
Aspinall, who holds a record of 15-3, was crowned undisputed champion last month. This happened after former champion Jon Jones decided to retire instead of facing him.
Aspinall won the interim title in November 2023. He even made an unusual defense of the interim title last July, while waiting for Jones to agree to fight him. Jones announced his retirement last month, but immediately hinted at his intention to return in 2026.
English fighter Aspinall has an 8-1 record in the UFC, with seven first-round victories. His only loss was against Curtis Blaydes in 2022, due to a knee injury suffered 15 seconds into the fight.
Gane, from France, with a record of 13-2, is a former interim champion. He won the interim title against Derrick Lewis in 2021, but failed to unify it against then-champion Francis Ngannou in 2022.
