Tom Aspinall has revealed that his eye injury is healing and he expects to receive clearance for full contact training soon. According to Aspinall, the UFC has informed him that his next fight will be against the winner of the upcoming bout between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane. He stated that those two need to fight each other first, then recover from their bout, and once everyone is ready, they will schedule his championship fight. Aspinall appears comfortable waiting for the matchup to materialize before returning to action.
Tom Aspinall has revealed that the UFC has mapped out his path back to competition, telling the heavyweight champion he will fight the winner of Alex Pereira versus Ciryl Gane once that bout is settled and both men have recovered.
Aspinall, 33, said his eye injury is progressing well and that he expects to receive clearance for full contact training shortly. The Englishman out of Team Kaobon carries a 15-3 record and holds the UFC heavyweight title, currently ranked sixth in the pound-for-pound standings. At six-foot-five with a 78-inch reach, he is one of the most physically imposing champions in the promotion, and his numbers back that up — he lands 7.63 significant strikes per minute at a 67 percent accuracy rate, among the highest in the division.
Standing across from him whenever that fight materialises will be either Pereira or Gane. Pereira, 38, is the reigning light heavyweight champion from Brazil carrying a 13-4 record. Known as Poatan, he lands 5.16 significant strikes per minute at 62 percent accuracy and would be moving up a weight class for the matchup. Gane, the 36-year-old Frenchman ranked second in the heavyweight division at 14-2-0, is the taller and rangier opponent at six-foot-four with an 81-inch reach, landing 5.29 strikes per minute with 61 percent accuracy.
Why it matters
- Aspinall's next opponent will be determined by a high-profile clash between the sitting light heavyweight champion and the second-ranked heavyweight contender.
- A Pereira win would set up a rare two-division title unification scenario; a Gane win would represent a comeback into heavyweight title contention for Bon Gamin.
- Aspinall's elite striking output and well-rounded game will present a distinct stylistic challenge for whoever emerges from that fight.
