Ciryl Gane officially promoted to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion

2 sources2 min read • Latest: Sep 16, 2026, 8:00 PM

Last updated Sep 16, 2026

Ciryl Gane officially promoted to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion
Summary

Ciryl Gane has been promoted to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion following Tom Aspinall's injury-related title vacancy. Gane earned the interim championship with a knockout victory over Alex Pereira at UFC White House. Pereira, in response, criticized Gane’s new status on social media, referencing Gane’s past title fight losses. The UFC's plans for Gane's reign remain uncertain, with Pereira and others eyeing title opportunities.

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Status Watch
  • Tom Aspinall vacated the heavyweight title due to injury on September 11.
  • Gane secured interim champion status by defeating Alex Pereira.
  • Pereira mocked Gane's title promotion on Instagram.
  • The UFC's plans for Gane's title defense are not yet clear.
  • Pereira and Josh Hokit are among potential challengers for Gane.
Latest Updates
  • 8:00 PMMMA FightingAlex Pereira laughs at Ciryl Gane’s promotion to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion
  • 8:00 PMYahoo SportsAlex Pereira laughs at Ciryl Gane’s promotion to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion
What they're saying
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Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane ahead of UFC White House | Ed Mulholland, Zuffa LLC via Getty Images Alex Pereira isn’t showing new undisputed UFC champion Ciryl Gane any respect. With Tom Aspinall officially vacating the heavyweight title this past Monday due to injury, Gane has officially been promoted from interim to undisputed champion. Aspinall suffered injuries to both eyes when he fought Gane at UFC 321 this past October, when Gane accidentally delivered an eye-poke that led to their bout being ruled a no-contest due to Aspinall being unable to continue. Since then, Aspinall has been out of action, while Gane went on to win the interim belt with a knockout win over Pereira at UFC White House. On Wednesday, Pereira took to Instagram to mock Gane’s ascension. View this post on Instagram Pereira shared a graphic from MMA News HQ that downplayed Gane’s achievements due to his past title fight losses to Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones, and a controversial win over Alexander Volkov. The graphic also references Pereira’s loss to Gane, a result that Pereira has repeatedly claimed was influenced by illegal shots to the back of the head. “Poatan” added the caption, “Champion” accompanied by three laughing emojis. It’s not yet clear how the UFC plans to handle Gane’s unexpected reign, with Pereira, Volkov, and the undefeated Josh Hokit all circling a potential opportunity to challenge for the title.

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Alex Pereira isn’t convinced Ciryl Gane is UFC’s true heavyweight king

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