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Dana White says Ciryl Gane won’t be promoted to undisputed champion: ‘He’s still got to fight’

Ciryl Gane is NOT the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion. On Monday, Tom Aspinall vacated his UFC heavyweight title after reinjuring his eyes in training, forcing him out of action indefinitely. As such, many expected that interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane…

By Jed Meshew · MMA Fighting

Published: Saturday, 19 September 2026 at 2:00 PM

Key Things to Know

UFC CEO Dana White confirmed interim champion Ciryl Gane will not be promoted to undisputed champion without fighting.
Tom Aspinall vacated his undisputed UFC heavyweight title after reinjuring his eyes during training.
Gane is expected to compete for the vacant undisputed heavyweight title in an upcoming bout to be announced soon.

The Story in 60 Seconds

UFC CEO Dana White has confirmed that interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane will not be automatically promoted to undisputed champion. This decision follows Tom Aspinall vacating his undisputed UFC heavyweight title due to reinjuring his eyes during training. White stated that Gane will still have to compete in a fight to earn the undisputed championship status.

White expects to announce Gane's next opponent and the upcoming title fight very soon. Aspinall, who originally suffered eye injuries against Gane at UFC 321, is sidelined indefinitely with no set timeline for his return. Gane previously secured the interim heavyweight title with a TKO victory over Alex Pereira.

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Dana White says Ciryl Gane won’t be promoted to undisputed champion: ‘He’s still got to fight’

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