Tom Aspinall’s first official defense as undisputed heavyweight champion is set!
On Thursday, Dana White delivered a slew of blockbuster announcements, including three massive fights for UFC 320 on October 4. However, perhaps the biggest piece of news was the announcement that Aspinall would put his heavyweight crown on the line just a few short weeks later at UFC 321 on October 25 in Abu Dhabi.
According to White, Aspinall will face the division’s top-ranked contender and former interim titleholder Ciryl Gane.
It will be Aspinall’s first time fighting since defending his interim belt against Curtis Blaydes in July 2024. Aspinall was promoted to undisputed champion in June after Jon Jones announced his retirement from the sport.
Immediately following Jones’ exit, Aspinall vowed to be a fighting champion — something the division hasn’t seen in several years.
Gane looks to cut Tom Aspinall’s time with the title short in Abu Dhabi
Hoping to cut Aspinall’s undisputed reign short is Gane, a 10-2 fighter inside the Octagon with noteworthy wins against the likes of Junior dos Santos, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Alexander Volkov, and Derrick Lewis. ‘Bon Gamin’ goes into his third UFC title opportunity riding back-to-back victories and wins in three of his last four.
His only two losses under the UFC banner have come against Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones.
Thus far, only two other fights have been announced for UFC 321, including a heavyweight title eliminator between Jailton Almeida and the aforementioned Volkov, and a 205-pound showdown between Aleksandar Rakic and Azamat Murzakanov.
