Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane! The Englishman attempts his first title defense at UFC 321.

Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane face off at UFC 321. Photo: SUPER LUTAS montage

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Tom Aspinall will put his undisputed heavyweight title (up to 120,2kg) on ​​the line for the first time at UFC 321. On Tuesday night (22), Dana White announced the fight as the main event of the numbered event that will be held in Abu Dhabi on October 25. The Frenchman is ranked number one.

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Tom Aspinall became the champion of the UFC's most prestigious division after Jon Jones ' retirement was announced at the end of June. At a UFC Baku press conference , Dana White himself revealed 'Bones' retirement and announced Aspinall as the new undisputed heavyweight champion. According to the UFC president, the decision was communicated by Jon Jones himself via a phone call.

The heavyweight belt will be on the line!

Champion @AspinallMMA faces @Ciryl_Gane in the main event of #UFC321 in Abu Dhabi!

So, who takes this one?

October 25 | Watch live on UFC Fight PassBR!

[ @VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi ] pic.twitter.com/FwOHwdNr5Z

— UFC Brazil (@UFCBrasil) July 22, 2025

Aspinall and Ciryl Gane were already interim champions

In the organization since 2019, Ciryl Gane has always fought at a high level and as a reward was crowned interim heavyweight champion in 2021. However, the Frenchman was defeated by Francis Ngannou in the fight for the division's undisputed title in January of the following year.

Tom Aspinall was not given the same opportunity for unification . Since defeating Sergei Pavlovich in 1 minute and 4 seconds of the first round of the main event at UFC 298 , the Englishman has been seeking a unification bout with Jon Jones . A fight that never happened. Aspinall defended his interim title with a first-round victory over Curtis Blaydes in their fight last July and will only return to the octagon in his bout against Ciryl Gane.

Dana White announces Alex Poatan x Magomed Ankalaev

Alex Poatan and Magomed Ankalaev face off before the fight (Photo: Instagram)

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In the same announcement, Dana White confirmed the rematch between Alex Poatan and Magomed Ankalaev for the light heavyweight title (up to 93 kg). The fight will headline UFC 320 on October 4th.

The announcement comes after months of trash talk between the two fighters and uncertainty surrounding the official confirmation of the fight. Poatan and Ankalaev faced off at UFC 313 in a close five-round bout, which the Russian won by unanimous decision.

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