Current interim UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane will not be promoted to undisputed champion in the wake of Tom Aspinall vacating his UFC heavyweight title following another eye injury.
This is according to UFC CEO, Dana White, who recently revealed that the promotion does not intend to promote Gane to champion despite his interim status. Historically, if a fighter holds an interim title and the current champion needs to vacate or is stripped they’d be elevated to undisputed champion. There have
been some rare occasions where this hasn’t happened, but this is literally the reason why interim titles are invented in the first place.
Gane, who is responsible for Aspinall’s initial eye injury back at UFC 321 in Oct. 2025, is coming off a controversial TKO win over Alex Pereira at UFC’s White House event to claim the interim title. Many believe Gane’s finish over Pereira included multiple strikes to the back of the head, which has only created more drama for a division that has been treading water for years. Maybe that’s why UFC officials are making Gane fight for his bread again.
On Friday, White confirmed that Gane will not be promoted and must fight for the undisputed belt to actually hold it. See below:
“Does it make him the undisputed champion? No, he’s still got to fight,” said White.
“Very soon,” added White when asked when Gane will fight next. “We’ll see how this whole thing plays out with Aspinall.“
