Tom Aspinall Will Defend His Heavyweight Title Against Ciryl Gane in Abu Dhabi
The undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall, will face Ciryl Gane in his first title defense. The fight is scheduled for October 25th at UFC 321, which will be held at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, according to UFC CEO Dana White.
Aspinall, who holds a record of 15-3, was elevated to undisputed champion status last month. This happened after former champion Jon Jones decided to retire rather than face him.
Aspinall won the interim title in November 2023 and even made a defense of the interim title last July, while waiting for Jones to agree to fight him. Jones announced his retirement last month, but immediately suggested that he intends to return in 2026.
English fighter Aspinall has an 8-1 record in the UFC, with seven first-round finishes. His only loss was against Curtis Blaydes in 2022, due to a knee injury suffered 15 seconds into the fight.
Gane, of French nationality, 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 the title against then-champion Francis Ngannou in 2022.
