Tom Aspinall has confirmed that his eye injury is healing and he will soon receive clearance to return to full contact training. Aspinall revealed that the UFC has informed him his next fight will be against the winner of the upcoming bout between Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane. He stated that those two fighters need to face each other first, then recover from their fight, and once everyone is ready, his championship bout will be scheduled. The interim heavyweight champion appears content to wait for the right matchup. Aspinall's comments suggest the UFC is planning a unification bout following the Pereira-Gane contest.
Tom Aspinall has revealed that the UFC has mapped out his path back to the octagon, telling the interim heavyweight champion he will fight the winner of Alex Pereira versus Ciryl Gane in a title unification bout.
Aspinall, 33, confirmed his eye injury is healing well and that he expects to receive clearance for full contact training soon. The Wigan-born fighter carries a 15-3-0 record and holds the interim heavyweight title, ranking sixth on the pound-for-pound list. Standing six-foot-five with a 78-inch reach, he is one of the most dangerous heavyweights in the sport, landing an extraordinary 7.63 significant strikes per minute at 67 percent accuracy — numbers that stand well above the divisional average.
Pereira, 38, enters his upcoming heavyweight contest as the reigning light heavyweight champion, holding a 13-4-0 record. The Brazilian, known as Poatan, is a proven finisher at six-foot-four with a 79-inch reach, landing 5.16 significant strikes per minute at 62 percent accuracy. A victory at heavyweight would make him a simultaneous two-division champion.
Gane, nicknamed Bon Gamin, is the number two ranked heavyweight at 14-2-0. The 36-year-old Frenchman out of MMA Factory stands six-foot-four with an 81-inch reach — the longest of the three men — and posts 5.29 significant strikes per minute at 61 percent accuracy. His technical, movement-based striking style figures to make for an intriguing clash with Pereira's power.
Why it matters
- Aspinall has been waiting for a unification fight; the UFC now appears to have a formal plan in place
- The Pereira-Gane winner becomes the undisputed heavyweight champion, with Aspinall next in line
- All three fighters are orthodox strikers, but Aspinall's volume and finishing rate set a distinct style contrast with either potential opponent
- Pereira moving up to heavyweight adds a two-division title dimension to the eventual unification matchup
