Tom Aspinall Will Defend the UFC Heavyweight Title Against Ciryl Gane
The undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall, will face Ciryl Gane in his first title defense. The fight is scheduled for October 25 at UFC 321, which will take place at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, according to UFC CEO Dana White.
Aspinall (15-3) ascended to undisputed champion last month, following Jon Jones’ decision to retire rather than face him.
Aspinall won the interim title in November 2023 and even defended the interim title last July, while waiting for Jones to agree to fight. Jones announced his retirement last month, but immediately suggested he plans 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 15 seconds into the fight.
Gane (13-2), from France, 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.