Ciryl Gane will look to finally claim the undisputed UFC heavyweight title when he faces Tom Aspinall in the main event of UFC 321 on October 25. It will be the Frenchman’s third attempt to win the full championship — and perhaps his last chance to silence doubts about his standing among the division’s elite.
Despite insisting that the fight is not “must-win,” Gane knows a third failure to secure the belt would be a major setback. Once hailed as the future of the heavyweight division, he now faces the challenge of reclaiming that mantle from Aspinall, who carries similar expectations.
Gane’s ascent through the UFC ranks was meteoric. Making his debut in 2019 with only three professional fights, he quickly established himself as one of the most technically gifted heavyweights ever seen. His fluid movement and speed set him apart, and within just two years, he had gone 7-0 in the UFC, a feat matched only by former champions Cain Velasquez and Junior dos Santos during the modern era.
That flawless run included wins over top names such as dos Santos, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and Alexander Volkov. His crowning moment came at UFC 265, where he dominated Derrick Lewis to claim the interim title. In that fight, Gane outlanded Lewis by 98 significant strikes to 16, setting a record for the largest strike differential in a UFC heavyweight title bout.
However, his subsequent loss to Francis Ngannou at UFC 270 exposed weaknesses in his wrestling and grappling — flaws that have lingered over his career since. Still, Gane has remained a top contender, showcasing elite striking and composure under pressure.
Now, at UFC 321, Gane has the chance to rewrite his story. A win over Aspinall would not only make him France’s first undisputed heavyweight champion but also complete one of the most impressive journeys in modern UFC history.
