UFC president says interim champion Gane must still earn undisputed title

After Tom Aspinall gave up the UFC heavyweight championship due to complications from an eye injury caused by repeated eye pokes from Ciryl Gane, the organization’s president, Dana White, said Gane will not be elevated to undisputed champion. Gane earned the interim title by stopping Alex Pereira in June, a fight that also featured alleged fouls. White emphasized that Gane must still compete to claim the undisputed belt, with a new opponent to be named shortly.

He noted that similar situations have occurred before, citing Valentina Shevchenko’s recent vacating of the women’s flyweight title, which will now be contested between Natalia Silva and Wang Cong. When asked about Aspinall’s return, White said it depends on the fighter’s health and eye recovery. Potential challengers for Gane include veteran Alexander Volkov and rising star Josh Hokit.