Ciryl Gane

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall is pushing to return to the octagon before the end of the year but must first satisfy commission medical requirements stemming from a serious eye injury sustained last October against Ciryl Gane. His manager Eddie Hearn confirmed Aspinall has undergone multiple surgeries and will need to prove his fitness to a commission before he can compete again. UFC 334 in New York on November 14 has been identified as a potential target date for his comeback. Aspinall last week issued a public statement denying reports that he was planning to leave the UFC.

Aspinall

UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has publicly stated he has no intention of parting ways with the UFC. The clarification came after his boxing coach, Stipe Drvis, claimed on Instagram Live that Aspinall did not want to fight for the organization. Aspinall has been sidelined since October, when his title defense against Ciryl Gane ended in a no contest due to eye pokes, and has since undergone multiple eye surgeries. Should he fully recover, a rematch with interim heavyweight champion Gane — who defeated Alex Pereira by TKO at UFC Freedom 250 in June — is expected to follow.

Aspinall, Pereira

Heavyweight contender Josh Houquet has laid out a detailed plan for the UFC heavyweight division, demanding that champion Tom Aspinall either be stripped of the title or released outright. Houquet called for a fight with Ciryl Gane, arguing Aspinall has repeatedly delayed the division and that a new, more active champion is needed. He also addressed a potential future matchup with Alex Pereira, suggesting the BMF title be put on the line but preferring to first beat Gane and let Pereira rebuild his aura after his loss to Gane before they meet.

Aspinall, Pereira

Alexander Volkov will face #5-ranked Rizvan Kuniev in a heavyweight title eliminator at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi on October 24. The winner will be positioned to challenge for the UFC heavyweight title in 2027, facing whichever fighter emerges from the anticipated rematch between champion Tom Aspinall and interim champion Ciryl Gane. UFC 333 will be headlined by two title bouts, including Alexander Volkanovski vs. Movsar Evloev and Petr Yan vs. Merab Dvalishvili in a trilogy fight.

Volkov, Aspinall, Kuniev+4