The heavyweight division finally has clarity. On October 25, 2025, the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi will host a long-awaited showdown as Tom Aspinall makes his first defense of the undisputed UFC heavyweight championship against Ciryl Gane.
Aspinall Becomes Undisputed Champion
Aspinall (15–3 MMA, 8–1 UFC) was promoted to undisputed champion earlier this summer after Jon Jones announced his retirement. For nearly a year, Aspinall had been chasing Jones, hoping to unify the belts inside the Octagon.
That fight never happened. Instead, Aspinall’s road to gold began at UFC 295 in November 2023, when he demolished Sergei Pavlovich in just 109 seconds to capture the interim belt. He defended it the following summer at UFC 304, stopping Curtis Blaydes in only a minute to avenge his lone UFC loss.
Jones’ decision to walk away left Aspinall as the unquestioned king of the heavyweight division — and now, he finally gets the chance to prove it with his first official title defense.
The Long-Delayed Clash with Ciryl Gane
This isn’t the first time Aspinall and Gane have been booked. In fact, this is the fourth attempt to make the fight happen. Somehow, schedules, injuries, and opportunities always got in the way. But on October 25, there’s nowhere else to run.
Aspinall knows exactly what’s at stake:
“This is the fourth time that we’ve been matched up together,” he said. “Me and Ciryl got in the UFC around the same time. Now we are matched up, October 25, Abu Dhabi. This is Ciryl’s third title shot. So, we are going to try and get rid of Ciryl Gane from the title picture for good.”
A Heavyweight Fight Like No Other
What makes this fight so intriguing is that both men don’t fight like heavyweights.
Aspinall is fast, elusive, and technical, with the finishing instincts of a true predator. Gane (13–2 MMA, 10–2 UFC), meanwhile, is regarded as one of the slickest strikers the division has ever seen, moving more like a middleweight than a man his size.
That unique dynamic could make UFC 321’s main event one of the most exciting heavyweight title fights in history.
“We don’t fight like heavyweights, both of us,” Aspinall explained. “So this could be the fastest, best-moving heavyweight fight anybody’s ever seen. We’re both great movers, light on our feet, elusive – this is going to be great.”
Ciryl Gane’s Last Chance?
For Ciryl Gane, UFC 321 represents do-or-die territory.
He has already fallen short twice in championship fights: once against Francis Ngannou at UFC 270 in 2022, and then against Jon Jones for the vacant title in 2023. This will be his third crack at UFC gold, and with Aspinall making it clear that he wants to shut the door on Gane’s title hopes, the stakes couldn’t be higher.
What’s Next
UFC 321 will be the crown jewel of a stacked autumn lineup, coming just weeks after UFC 320 (headlined by Merab Dvalishvili vs Cory Sandhagen and Alex Pereira vs Magomed Ankalaev).
📅 October 25, 2025
📍 Etihad Arena, Abu Dhabi
🏆 Main Event: Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane – Undisputed Heavyweight Championship
The heavyweight division moves forward without Jon Jones, and Tom Aspinall is ready to prove he’s the true No. 1. But can Ciryl Gane finally turn his elusive style into championship gold, or will Aspinall slam the door shut once and for all?
