Overview
- UFC president Dana White told Sportsnet that interim champion Ciryl Gane will not be automatically elevated and must fight to become the undisputed heavyweight champion.
- Tom Aspinall relinquished the undisputed title while recovering from repeated eye injuries and multiple surgeries that have left his return timeline unknown.
- The UFC later listed Gane as undisputed champion on its broadcast and announced Gane vs. Josh Hokit for UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden, creating a public contradiction with White’s interview.
- Gane’s recent wins that earned him interim gold — a no‑contest with Aspinall after eye pokes and a June stoppage of Alex Pereira that drew complaints about strikes to the back of the head — are central to calls for him to prove championship status in the cage.
- Historically the UFC has sometimes elevated interim holders when a champion vacates, so White’s decision to keep the title to be won by fight creates immediate matchmaking pressure and could shape who faces Gane or the next champion later this year.