Ciryl Gane Has To Fight For Vacant Heavyweight Title, Says Dana White
UFC CEO has clarified that the interim champion Ciryl Gane will not be promoted to UFC champion, In a interview white stated that Gane eventually has to fight for the title, following Tom Aspinall's desicion to step down from the title.
Following Tom Aspinall's decision to step down from the title, UFC president Dana White has announced that interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane will not be promoted to undisputed champion; therefore, he will have to compete for the now-vacant title in his next fight. In an interview with Sportsnet's Diana Belbita, Dana White clarified that Gane's interim status does not ensure him the undisputed title. The UFC has promoted interim champions in similar situations before. Ciryl Gane must compete against another fighter; whoever wins will be crowned the new champion.
“Does it make him the undisputed champion? No, he's still got to fight. I mean, we'll see how this whole thing plays out with Aspinall. You know, Ciryl will fight, and we'll see who becomes the champion.” White added that Gane would be fighting for the vacant title.
????BIG NEWS: DANA WHITE CONFIRMS CIRYL GANE WILL NOT BE CROWNED UNDISPUTED CHAMPION‼️ Gane will NOT be promoted to undisputed champion and will have to fight for the vacant title. ????️Dana says Gane will be fighting “very soon” ???????? Via @Sportsnet https://t.co/9ySqsnkfCO
— FightLuck (@FightluckBet) September 19, 2026
Ciryl Gane, 36, captured the interim heavyweight title in June with a second-round TKO of Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250, and 'Poatan' has suggested a rematch to win against Gane to claim his third UFC belt. White's stance emphasizes a message that the heavyweight title must be won in the Octagon, not in press conferences.
Tom Aspinall steps aside after eye injury complications
Tom Aspinall renounced the heavyweight championship after suffering serious damage to his right eye during his title defense against Gane at UFC 321 in October 2025, deepening issues from an unintentional double eye poke. The British fighter has undergone multiple surgeries and labeled the situation as an “absolute nightmare,” but highlighted that he is not retiring and plans to return once he is fully healed.
Before vacating, Aspinall secured a key assurance from the UFC that once medically cleared, he will be allowed to fight for the heavyweight title again. That understanding keeps him in the title conversation despite stepping away from the title and sets up a possible three-way race between Aspinall, Gane, and the winner of the upcoming vacant-title fight.