Updated

Updated · Yahoo Sports · Sep 19

Ciryl Gane Must Fight for Vacant UFC Heavyweight Title as Tom Aspinall Vacates Over Eye Injury

Updated

Updated · Yahoo Sports · Sep 19

Ciryl Gane Must Fight for Vacant UFC Heavyweight Title as Tom Aspinall Vacates Over Eye Injury

Q: With the heavyweight crown vacant, who will Dana White ultimately choose to stand between Ciryl Gane and undisputed glory?

Alexander Volkov looks like the most likely choice, even if Dana White has not named an opponent yet. The clearest clue is merit and positioning. Volkov is the top-ranked true heavyweight contender mentioned repeatedly in the reporting, and several outlets have framed him as the most deserving challenger behind Ciryl Gane. Their recent fight was also contentious: Gane won a split decision, but most media scorecards reportedly favored Volkov, which gives the UFC an easy competitive justification for running that matchup back with the vacant belt on the line. Alex Pereira is a bigger commercial name, but the available reporting cuts against him getting the slot immediately. He just lost to Gane for the interim title in June, and Pereira himself has since said he expects to fight once more before another title shot. That makes him a less clean choice for a vacant championship bout right now. Josh Hokit has momentum and has loudly campaigned for the fight, but his résumé still appears thinner than Volkov’s. The reporting around him consistently notes that he lacks the depth of top-level wins usually expected for a direct shot at the undisputed heavyweight title. So while White is keeping the announcement in reserve, the smartest read of the division is Gane vs. Volkov for the vacant championship, with Pereira and Hokit more likely to be one win away unless the UFC opts to prioritize star power over rankings.

Q: Will Ciryl Gane's accidental eye poke ironically cost him an automatic promotion to the undisputed UFC heavyweight throne?

Yes. In practical terms, Gane’s accidental eye poke appears to have cost him the easiest path to the undisputed heavyweight title. Tom Aspinall vacated because of lingering eye damage tied to the no-contest against Gane and a later setback in training. Under many past UFC title situations, an interim champion could have been elevated once the undisputed champion stepped aside. But Dana White has now ruled that out for Gane, saying plainly that he is “still got to fight” for the vacant belt. That makes the irony hard to miss. The injury sequence that removed Aspinall from the championship picture began with Gane’s foul, even if it was accidental. Instead of benefiting from Aspinall’s exit with an automatic promotion, Gane must take another title fight to become undisputed champion. Still, it would be too strong to say the eye poke is the only reason. White also pointed to the broader state of the heavyweight division, where several contenders remain available and the UFC prefers to settle the vacancy in the cage. That gives the promotion a sporting and commercial rationale for booking Gane against another top name rather than handing him the belt. So the direct answer is yes, at least indirectly: the eye poke helped create the circumstances that led to Aspinall vacating, yet Gane is not being rewarded with automatic elevation and now needs one more win.

3 articles · Updated · Yahoo Sports · Sep 19

Dana White said Ciryl Gane will not be elevated from interim to undisputed heavyweight champion after Tom Aspinall vacated the belt; Gane must win another fight for the vacant title.
Aspinall gave up the championship this week after ongoing eye problems from his October 2025 no-contest with Gane worsened again while he prepared for a Nov. 14 rematch at UFC 334.
White said Gane will fight "soon, very soon," but named neither an opponent nor a date, adding he does not know when Aspinall will be healthy enough to return.
The vacancy reopens a crowded title picture after Gane's controversial June win over Alex Pereira for the interim belt, with Pereira, Josh Hokit and Alexander Volkov all in the mix.