Tom Aspinall said he will be ready to face Ciryl Gane in an undisputed title fight in Paris in September, and the timing matters because he is returning from eye surgery after damage to both eyes. The UFC heavyweight champion also used the aftermath of Ciryl Gane’s win over Alex Pereira to make his stance clear after the alex pereira statement ufc loss.
Aspinall takes the Paris fight
Aspinall said, “Paris in September? I’ll do that,” and followed it with, “I’ll go to Paris. Let me know. I’ll be there.” That is the clearest sign yet that the champion is prepared to move forward once the date and opponent line up.
Gane, 36, made it clear he is ready for a rematch, and Aspinall’s comments leave the planned bout on a direct path toward an undisputed heavyweight title fight. He already watched Gane defeat Pereira for the interim heavyweight title at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House on Sunday.
Gane, Pereira and the fallout
The win over Pereira ended in a second-round stoppage and stopped Pereira from becoming the UFC’s first three-division champion. Aspinall was quick to question the finish, saying, “The [elbows] look a bit illegal,” and, “They look very illegal. What is going on? Dropped him with a jab and he’s swinging now trying to finish him.”
He added, “He looked good. I have to watch that again. Looked like there was a lot of illegal elbows going on. Illegal punches but generally he looked good.” Herb Dean did not call any foul on the elbows, and Aspinall’s criticism showed how much Gane’s latest result has sharpened the stakes around the heavyweight picture.
October’s no contest
The first fight between Aspinall and Gane last October was ruled a no contest because of repeated eye pokes from Gane, and Aspinall called him a “cheater” after that bout. That history now sits right behind the next possible meeting, with Aspinall also having undergone surgery in February after damage to both eyes.
He said in May that he was back in non-contact training, so the Paris date would fit a return that has already moved from recovery to readiness. If the fight lands there, it would settle a matchup that has already produced one unfinished ending and one public challenge to Gane’s latest win.
