Tom Aspinall has reacted to the fight that likely determined his next opponent, and the UFC heavyweight champion appears more than willing to run things back with Ciryl Gane.
On Sunday night at UFC Freedom 250, Gane stunned Alex Pereira in the co-main event to capture the interim heavyweight title for a second time. The Frenchman delivered a clinical performance, stopping Pereira and securing a potential rematch with Aspinall.
Although Tom Aspinall was not in attendance at the White House event, the British heavyweight watched closely as the heavyweight landscape shifted in front of him.
Before the fight, Aspinall predicted that Gane would get the job done. While reacting live to the bout, the heavyweight champion criticized Pereira’s performance and suggested the former two-division champion never found his rhythm.
“Pereira’s looking a bit stuck in the mud to me. He’s not doing much.”
As the fight progressed, Aspinall praised Gane for his movement, variety, and ability to keep Pereira guessing throughout the contest. The Frenchman mixed striking combinations with takedown threats, eventually finding the finish in the second round.
Despite giving Gane credit for the victory, Tom Aspinall raised concerns about some of the strikes that led to the stoppage.
As Gane poured on the pressure after dropping Pereira, Aspinall questioned whether some of the finishing blows were legal.
“They look a bit illegal. They look very illegal.”
“He looked good. I have to watch that again. It looked like there was a lot of illegal elbows going on, illegal punches, but generally, he looked good. Pereira just didn’t really seem to get going, did he? He looked a bit stiff and reserved from the beginning. I don’t know if he was trying to feel his way into the fight or what, but he just never seemed to. He looked slow.”
Aspinall has repeatedly accused Gane of fighting dirty following their previous meeting, which ended in a no-contest after a series of accidental eye pokes left the champion unable to continue.
Following his victory, Gane called for a title unification bout against Aspinall in Paris later this year.
The heavyweight champion did not hesitate when asked about the proposal.
“Paris in September, hey? I’ll do that. I’ll do that, let me know. I don’t mind, I’ll go to Paris.”
The response immediately fueled excitement about a potential rematch between the two heavyweights, with both men appearing eager to settle unfinished business.
While fans continue to speculate about when the heavyweight champion will return to action, Aspinall revealed that his recovery is progressing well.
After being sidelined by eye injuries sustained in his previous fight with Gane, Aspinall confirmed that he has already resumed training.
“I’m back training now. Literally right now. We’re going.”
The update will come as welcome news for fans eager to see the heavyweight division move forward. With Gane now holding interim gold and Aspinall back in the gym, a title unification showdown appears to be the next logical step.
