Dana White says Ciryl Gane will not be handed the undisputed UFC heavyweight championship after Tom Aspinall vacated the belt. Gane remains interim champion and will fight for the vacant title “very soon,” though the UFC has not named an opponent or date.
Ciryl Gane will need one more win before he can call himself UFC heavyweight champion. Dana White addressed the division’s sudden change during an interview with Sportsnet’s Diana Belbita after Tom Aspinall relinquished the undisputed title. Asked whether Aspinall’s departure automatically elevated Gane, White gave a clear answer.
Dana White Explains Why Ciryl Gane Isn’t Getting the UFC Heavyweight Belt
“No. He’s still got to fight.” White did not name the opponent, location or event, but said Gane’s next appearance is coming “soon, very soon.” The bout is expected to determine the next undisputed heavyweight champion, leaving Gane with a championship fight rather than an administrative promotion.
Aspinall vacated the heavyweight title this week while dealing with ongoing eye issues connected to his October 2025 fight with Gane at UFC 321. Their title bout ended in a no-contest early in the second round after Gane poked Aspinall in the eyes, and Aspinall subsequently required multiple surgeries, according to reports.
A later injury during his attempted comeback added to the uncertainty around his return. White said he does not know when Aspinall will be healthy enough to compete again, but indicated the UFC will be ready to book him when he is cleared. That puts the former champion out of the immediate title picture, even if his eventual return could quickly reshape the division again.
Gane took the interim championship in June when he defeated Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250, staged at the White House. The win positioned the French heavyweight for a unification fight with Aspinall, but the medical situation ended those plans before they reached the cage.
The UFC’s decision is notable because interim champions have previously been elevated to undisputed champion when the sitting titleholder vacates. Aspinall himself moved from interim champion to undisputed champion after Jon Jones retired. This time, White is keeping the interim label on Gane and making him compete for the main belt.
No opponent has been confirmed. Alexander Volkov sits directly behind Gane in the heavyweight rankings, making him an obvious name to watch, though the UFC has made no public commitment. For Gane, the new fight will be another route toward the title that has stayed out of reach. He has held interim gold twice, but lost his previous undisputed title attempts to Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones.
His planned showdown with Aspinall would have been another chance, only for the no-contest and Aspinall’s medical issues to put the division back in limbo. The heavyweight championship is vacant, Gane is still interim champion, and White says the answer will arrive inside the Octagon rather than through a belt handover.
