Ciryl Gane is NOT the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion.
On Monday, Tom Aspinall vacated his UFC heavyweight title after reinjuring his eyes in training, forcing him out of action indefinitely. As such, many expected that interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane — the man who caused Aspinall’s original eye injuries when he poked him during their heavyweight title fight at UFC 321 — would be elevated to undisputed champion and then defend his belt; but not so fast.
Speaking with Diana Belbita at Sportsnet,
UFC CEO Dana White revealed that Gane is not the new undisputed champion.
“Does it make him the undisputed champion?” White asked when questioned about Gane. “No. He’s still got to fight.”
White added that he expects Gane’s next fight, the bout for the title of undisputed champion, will be announced “very soon.”
Ostensibly, Aspinall could face the winner of whatever that potential bout is, should he be ready to return to action by then. But White has no timeline on when that might be.
“I don’t [know],” White said when asked how long Aspinall’s will be out for. “Obviously, whenever he feels healthy again, whenever his eyes are healed, then we’re ready for him.”
Gane won the interim heavyweight title with a TKO win over Alex Pereira at UFC White House this summer. It was expected that Gane and Aspinall would unify their titles in a rematch this year, before Aspinall’s setback ended those plans.
As for the rest of the heavyweight division, Aspinall’s latest update seems to have left the UFC scrambling, with White not having a clear path forward, but saying the UFC will figure it out.
“We’ll see how this whole thing plays out with Aspinall,” White said. “Ciryl will fight, and we’ll see who becomes the champion. This isn’t like this is the first time this has ever happened, and it’s happening right now with Valentina Shevchenko, too. This is nothing new. This happens sometimes, and it’s unfortunate. Not the best outcome, but it is what it is.”
