Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane stood face-to-face for the first time on September 5, 2025, at Accor Arena in Paris, ramping up excitement for their UFC 321 heavyweight title bout. Set for October 25, 2025, at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, the fight features undisputed champion Aspinall against former interim champion Gane.
At the Paris press conference, Aspinall accused Gane of avoiding him during his 2024 interim title run. Gane fired back, saying Aspinall wasn’t a big enough draw then. The crowd booed Aspinall and cheered Gane, their local hero. Aspinall earned the full belt when Jon Jones retired in June 2025. Gane seeks to reclaim gold from his 2021 interim title win.
Aspinall, 32, holds a 15-3 record. At 6’5” with a 78-inch reach, he’s scored three knockouts in his last five fights, including a 2024 stoppage of Curtis Blaydes. He won the interim belt in 2023 against Sergei Pavlovich. Gane, 35, has a 13-2 record. At 6’4” with an 81-inch reach, his latest win was a controversial split decision over Alexander Volkov at UFC 310 on December 7, 2024.
UFC 321 is Aspinall’s first defense of the undisputed title, gained after Jones’ retirement. Jones beat Gane in 2023 but didn’t defend the belt before leaving in 2025, leaving fans wanting an Aspinall-Jones fight. Gane’s recent win makes him a tough challenger. His 2021 interim title victory over Derrick Lewis adds stakes.
Watch the faceoff below:
FACE-TO-FACE FOR THE FIRST TIME 👀@AspinallMMA vs @ciryl_gane#UFC321 | @VisitAbuDhabi | @InAbuDhabi | #InAbuDhabi pic.twitter.com/EvwmVsmsYs
— UFC (@ufc) September 5, 2025
