Gane focused before fighting in the UFC. Photo: Reproduction/Facebook/UFC
The main event of the UFC 321, held last Saturday (25) in Abu Dhabi, ended in an unexpected and frustrating way for Cyryl Gane. The duel for the linear heavyweight belt (up to 120,2 kg) against Tom aspinall was stopped in the first round after accidentally poking the Englishman in the eye, who was unable to continue the fight, resulting in a no contest.
In a post-fight interview, Gane expressed disappointment with the outcome, but reinforced his confidence in his team and the UFC to plan the next steps.
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"I'm a little disappointed with the fight result... also because of what was happening and the future. For many reasons, mainly because of the work we did. I don't know what my future holds now. I believe in my manager, my team, and the UFC. They'll do a good job together. I'm just a fighter," said the Frenchman.
The incident occurred at 4 minutes and 35 seconds into the first round, when Gane accidentally struck Aspinall in the eye. The champion was examined by UFC medical staff but claimed he couldn't see, prompting the referee to stop the fight. As a result, Tom aspinall kept the belt and the public received an ending considered 'anticlimactic'.
Ciryl Gane's 'curse' in title fights
To Cyryl Gane, this would be his fourth challenge for a UFC heavyweight title, and his fourth fight for a linear or unification title. In August 2021, the Frenchman won the interim belt by knockout Derrick Lewis.
In the chance to unify, however, he was a victim of the game of falls of Francis Ngannou and lost on points. A year later, in March 2023, he received Jon Jones for the vacant title, but was easy prey for 'Bones', who finished with a rear naked choke in the first round.
UFC President Dana White has already indicated that an immediate rematch between Aspinall and Gane will be planned once the champion recovers. The new fight is expected to take place in early 2026.
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