Aspinall v Gane heavyweight championship bout
Tom Aspinall v Curtis Blaydes UFC 304
Why has it been so long since a title fight in the weight class?
By Dillon Morrow
The UFC heavyweight title is back after a long hiatus and loads of drama. Tom Aspinall (the current heavyweight champion) is set to face Cyril Gane in the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi.
Both fighters have been relatively inactive as neither have fought since 2024.
Gane fought last December against Alexander Volkov. Both fighters have previously fought Jon Jones who is arguably the best UFC fighter of all time and has caused a serious amount of drama in the heavyweight division recently.
Aspinall last fought in July of 2024 against Curtis Blaydes. Since that fight he has been looking for a bout with Jon Jones who had been injured.
He vacated his title in the UFC which created a strange situation in the heavyweight division.
Jones left which meant the next fight for the title would be an interim champion.
Aspinall eventually came into possession of the interim title and has been one of the most exiting fighters to watch in the UFC recently as he has a well-rounded style with powerful striking and an expansive knowledge of Jiu Jitsu.
He started Jiu Jitsu at aged seven and his dad quit his job to become Aspinall’s full-time coach from a young age.
Jones came back from injury after three years making him technically the true heavyweight champion, he then fought Stipe Miocic defending his title for the last time.
Aspinall and Jones then went back and forth online. Aspinall said Jones was ‘Ducking’, avoiding the fight out of fear. Jones claimed he wouldn't fight Aspinall because he hadn't fought enough big names (although he was the interim champion while Jones wasn't fighting).
This delayed the next heavyweight title fight for some time although the drama was good publicity for the UFC as two of their most popular fighters were in the spotlight while arguing and the tension got a lot of the fanbase excited for the potential fight.
Then Jones retired in June 2025, and Dana White the CEO of the UFC announced that Aspinall was the undisputed heavyweight champion.
Aspinall being crowned undisputed champion left UFC fans conflicted as there was a lot of hype for the Jones v Aspinall fight, but many people were glad that Aspinall got the title he deserved as he had already defended against Blaydes.
Nonetheless on the 25th, Aspinall is set to fight Gane who has fought Jones and looks like he is going to be a serious challenge for the new undisputed champion.
Aspinall currently sits as the favourite, holding 75% of the implied odds of victory on Bet 365.
This is likely due to Aspinall's exiting streak of wins. He holds the lowest average fight time at two minutes and two seconds. Most fighters don't make it outside of the first round against him.
The fight is exiting because it's the first time Aspinall has been challenged by a fighter as experienced as Gane who a household name in the UFC. Gane has faced big names such as Jones, Volkov, Francis Ngannou and Derrick Lewis. These are all fighters with impressive records in a division that Aspinall hasn't fought yet.