How Ciryl Gane has 'built something different' for UFC 321 to take down Tom Aspinall in pursuit of becoming undisputed heavyweight champion
ByTNT UK
Published 22/10/2025 at 13:36 GMT+1
Ciryl Gane, a former UFC interim heavyweight champion, has twice fallen short in his previous bids for the undisputed title. His most recent outing came last December, when he edged a split-decision win over Russia’s Alexander Volkov in a performance that drew mixed reviews. On Saturday, he faces Tom Aspinall at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi and says he is prepared for "a huge dogfight".
Gane reveals 'big sacrifice' he has made to prepare for Aspinall
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Ciryl Gane claims he has "built something different" and learnt from his previous shots at becoming the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, as he looks to make it third time lucky against Tom Aspinall in Abu Dhabi this weekend.
Aspinall will be defending his title for the first time. The 32-year-old was elevated to full champion status in June after Jon Jones retired and vacated the belt, ending Aspinall’s 19-month stint as interim champion without a unification bout taking place.
You might say Gane's preparations for a world-title challenge have been far from ideal. He is yet to fight this year, last stepping foot inside the octagon in December 2024 when he overcame Alexander Volkov at UFC 310 in Las Vegas.
He only returned to training in March, at which point he was already aware that the opportunity to face Aspinall to become the undisputed heavyweight champion would be on the table.
"We've already been in the camp for six months," he told Adam Catterall ahead of UFC 321 on Saturday, live on TNT Sports Box Office.
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'I want this belt' - Gane hungry for title at third attempt
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"It's been really easy, no pressure," he added, moving to allay fears he could be entering this weekend's showdown somewhat undercooked.
The division as a whole has been plagued by cancellations, which have left fight fans frustrated with Aspinall, who is only now set for his first defence.
The Brit has been out of action since he beat Curtis Blaydes in July 2024 for the interim heavyweight belt, and Gane feels he is now a far more complete fighter since the victory over Volkov some 10 months ago.
"It's all about maturity. When I first arrived [in the sport], the build-up was something new to me, but now I am an old G! I am a veteran," says Gane, who is accustomed to going long periods without being in competitive action.
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"This is going to be my eighth time as the main event, so I've now got plenty of experience.
"I know [Aspinall] is very fast and very technical, and is a smart guy. Tactically, he is very sound with his father and coach [Andy Aspinall].
"It's going to be really interesting to see how we're going to manage this. I hope it's going to be a huge dogfight for the fans."
Tough defeats forced Gane to 'question' himself
Gane has come a long way since his first professional loss when he faced Francis Ngannou at UFC 270 in January 2022 for the undisputed heavyweight title.
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Winner of Aspinall v Gane? A megafight with Jones? Bisping and Peet on what’s next for Pereira
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On that night - despite a strong start - he was outwrestled in the later rounds, with Ngannou securing a unanimous decision victory by leaning heavily on his grappling, a surprising strategy shift that caught many off guard.
Over a year later, at UFC 285 in March 2023, Gane was then submitted in the first round by Jones, who returned from a three-year hiatus and moved up to heavyweight for the vacant title.
Jones finished the fight with a guillotine choke just over two minutes into the opening round. So what has Gane learnt from his two previous title fights to shape him into the person he is now?
"Against Francis, it was my first time with this experience, and I felt the fight was 50-50 - very close. I didn't have as many questions for myself. When I lost to Jon Jones, it was completely different.
"We've fixed a lot of things. We've now built a real team around me, and the question was really about focusing on myself and what I want. As a competitor, to lose like that was really hard.
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'A beautiful match-up' - Gane looking forward to UFC 321 title bout with Aspinall
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"With the fans and media, the people were really hard on me. It's the same in every sport, but I had to question what I really wanted. I focused on myself and barely did any media in a year, maybe more.
"I was only focused on my training and my team to build something different."
'Bon Gamin' shut out the noise and leaned back on his strong family upbringing, with his parents, brother, and sister helping him create a stable emotional network.
The 35-year-old can certainly expect a baptism of fire as Aspinall looks to showcase the dynamism that has helped him secure knockout wins early in the first round of each of his last three fights.
Win or lose, Gane is now more focused on what he can control, with the setbacks only serving to reignite the fire burning within to take his third opportunity to reign supreme.
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‘I can knock anybody out, Ciryl is no exception’ – The best bits from Aspinall v Gane presser
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"Since the Jon Jones [defeat], I have remembered the feeling that I had," added Gane, "when everyone turned their back [on me].
"I didn't understand, but I thought, 'let's do something else' because I knew I was a well-rounded guy. I knew deep down what I really wanted to do, and that's stayed with me since the Jones fight.
"The fire has been with me here since before [facing Serghei] Spivac, Volkov... it's already been there. I've known I've wanted this belt. This is my fire."
Gane enters the weekend as the underdog but with a renewed belief and improved skill‑set, while Aspinall is favoured thanks to his finish‑first style and momentum.
The key debate centres on whether Gane’s upgrades are enough to neutralise Aspinall’s power and grappling threat.
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Saint-Denis 'truly believes' Gane will take belt off Aspinall
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Victory would be a historic moment for French mixed martial arts as the first fighter from the country to hold the UFC heavyweight championship belt.
The highly talented former Muay Thai fighter, who has already played a leading role in a major motion picture, has admitted he has made big sacrifices for this camp as he looks to write his own script.
"I've made some selfish choices for this camp," continued Gane, who has a wife and two daughters. "I've not seen my family for almost three months. Sometimes, you have to make these choices for your life.
"But I know that if I go home with the belt, I'm going to be a happy father. Everyone in my family knows this, so they are OK with that.
"Of course, it would be good for the legacy [of French MMA] if I win, but tomorrow, if I die, the people will turn their eyes towards another fighter, and they're going to forget me. This is the truth - I'm not stupid.
"Life goes on, so I'm not focused too much on what it means for my country. Most importantly, it will be for me."
How to watch UFC 321 in the UK
UFC 321: Aspinall vs. Gane costs £19.99 in the UK and can be watched on discovery+, Sky EE TV, Prime Video and Virgin Media TV. You do not need to be a TNT Sports subscriber to buy this event.
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