All articles tagged with #ciryl gane
Josh Hokit faces Ciryl Gane for the UFC heavyweight title on November 14 at Madison Square Garden. While Hokit’s rapid rise is fueled by controversial antics, critics argue Alexander Volkov was more deserving. Hokit’s coach plans a close-range strategy to neutralize Gane’s striking, but skeptics question if four fights are enough for a title shot.
Dana White says he fumbled an earlier remark and now confirms Ciryl Gane as the UFC’s undisputed heavyweight champion, with Gane set to defend the title against Josh Hokit at Madison Square Garden on November 14; White also reiterates his issues with Hokit’s antics but notes he won’t police fighters’ comments.
Dana White backtracked on his claim that Ciryl Gane wouldn’t automatically become undisputed UFC heavyweight champion after Tom Aspinall vacated the belt; Rogan and Cormier said White misspoke because of a long-standing hearing issue. Gane is set to fight Josh Hokit for the heavyweight title at UFC 334.
Ciryl Gane remains the interim UFC heavyweight champion rather than undisputed after Tom Aspinall vacated the belt due to a reinjured eye. Dana White said Gane isn’t the undisputed champ yet and will have to fight for the unification title, with a potential bout to crown the champion to be announced soon; Aspinall’s return date is unclear.
Dana White says Ciryl Gane remains interim heavyweight champion after Tom Aspinall vacates the title due to an eye injury; Gane will have to fight again (not automatically undisputed), with a next bout to be announced soon to crown the heavyweight champion.
With Tom Aspinall vacating the UFC heavyweight title due to an eye injury, Jon Jones may return as the belt opens up; Gable Steveson says Jones would be motivated by a vacant path, praises Ciryl Gane as a deserving undisputed champion, and even suggests Josh Hokit as a possible next opponent, underscoring how the heavyweight lineup could shift as the chase for the title heats up.
Tom Aspinall vacated the UFC heavyweight title due to injuries, elevating Ciryl Gane to undisputed champion; Jon Jones—who previously avoided a fight with Aspinall and even reportedly turned down a $30 million offer—may be plotting a comeback now that the belt is open, according to Gable Steveson, though it's unclear if UFC will approve a return.
Tom Aspinall vacated the UFC heavyweight title due to ongoing eye injuries, clearing the path for Ciryl Gane to move from interim to undisputed champion and leaving the division in a state of uncertainty after Ngannou’s exit and Jones’ heavyweight move. The piece traces how the belt has shuffled in this era, notes Gane’s repeated attempts at undisputed gold, and surveys a crowded top tier—Volkov, Pavlovich, Hokit, Cortes-Acosta, Blaydes, Kuniev, Petrino, Spivac and Delija—with newcomers like Valter Walker and Gable Steveson also in view, underscoring that the next title shot is wide open.
Ciryl Gane reacted to Tom Aspinall vacating the UFC heavyweight title with a confident 'Can’t wait,' as Aspinall’s eye injury forced him out and left the division's next champion undecided, with Josh Hokit and Alex Pereira among potential contenders for Gane’s first undisputed defense.
Dana White said on the Big Boy Podcast that he wanted Francis Ngannou to lose his final UFC fight against Ciryl Gane, and suggested Ngannou wouldn’t receive the belt after the fight. He didn’t enter the post‑fight cage and had already left the arena. White also said Ngannou is blacklisted by him and that he wouldn’t work with him again, even when asked about a Ngannou–Jones super fight, likening Ngannou to Oscar De La Hoya in terms of future collaboration.
Francis Ngannou has publicly pushed back after Dana White admitted he hoped Ngannou would lose his final UFC bout to Ciryl Gane; White has repeatedly criticized Ngannou and claimed to blacklist him, while Ngannou argues White did everything to keep him from freedom after years of legal battles. Since leaving the UFC in 2022, Ngannou has fought four times (including boxing bouts with Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua) and is now a leading figure for MVP MMA, which is pursuing a merger with the PFL.
Alex Pereira, coming off his heavyweight debut KO loss to Ciryl Gane at UFC Freedom 250, says a heavyweight rematch with Gane is likely and will help him chase a third UFC title, after earlier chatter about a fight with Josh Hokit.
Alex Pereira says Ciryl Gane should be his next opponent after Gane stopped him in the interim UFC heavyweight title fight, aiming for a rematch to avenge the loss and pursue a third belt, while Tom Aspinall's uncertain return keeps an undisputed title showdown in doubt.
Rising heavyweight Josh Hokit criticized the rumored UFC rematch between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane, calling it “makes no f—king sense” and arguing Pereira must first win in heavyweight to deserve another title shot. The piece notes the UFC’s tendency to chase rematches for sales and star power, even amid fan backlash, and frames Pereira’s status as a major draw as driving potential booking despite his loss, while also referencing other high-profile rematch talks and possible future matchups.
Alex Pereira believes his next move should be a rematch with Ciryl Gane for the UFC title, arguing that with Tom Aspinall’s eye surgeries delaying his return and Gane having just defeated him for the interim belt, a Gane title shot would be the logical next step rather than pursuing a heavyweight showdown.