Tom Aspinall’s long-awaited first undisputed heavyweight title fight will take place against Jon Jones’s former rival.
UFC CEO Dana White took to social media on Tuesday and announced that Tom Aspinall, the newly-crowned undisputed heavyweight champion, will face former interim titleholder Ciryl Gane in the UFC 321 main event in Abu Dhabi.
Aspinall was promoted to undisputed UFC heavyweight titleholder when Jon Jones abruptly announced his retirement from MMA last month after months of contract talks with the promotion.
Jones has since pivoted on his earlier retirement stance and is targeting a return to the Octagon in 2026, as he hopes to feature on the UFC’s planned event at The White House.
Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty ImagesCiryl Gane gets his third chance at lineal UFC heavyweight gold against Tom Aspinall
Gane, who hasn’t fought since a controversial win over Alexander Volkov at UFC 310, will get his third shot at earning an undisputed UFC title against Aspinall. Gane suffered title losses to Francis Ngannou and Jones earlier in his career.
Before the Ngannou fight, Gane held the interim UFC heavyweight title after finishing Derrick Lewis at UFC 265. Gane has defeated the likes of Tai Tuivasa, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and Junior dos Santos during his UFC tenure.
Aspinall’s long wait for an undisputed title shot ends as he begins a new era in the UFC’s heavyweight division. The UK superstar made his final interim title defense in his last fight against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 last July.
Aspinall was hoping for a super fight against Jones following the latter’s win over Stipe Miocic at UFC 309. But after months of negotiations, and back-and-forths online, Jones opted not to fight Aspinall and was stripped of the UFC heavyweight title.
Jon Jones casts a shadow over Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane title fight
After Jones reversed course on his short-lived retirement, he re-entered the UFC’s drug testing pool, which he’ll be required to be in for six months before being eligible to return to the cage. Jones remains optimistic he’ll return at The White House next year, despite White’s recent snub.
Jones, Conor McGregor and other top UFC names are hoping for a shot to fight at The White House next summer following U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement.
Jones wants to fight whoever is holding the UFC heavyweight title at year’s end, meaning the Aspinall vs. Gane winner could welcome Jones back to the cage in 2026. Gane lost to Jones by submission at UFC 285 for the then-vacant heavyweight championship.
The full UFC 321 card is expected to be finalized in the coming weeks.