Gane stuns Pereira to reclaim interim UFC heavyweight title and demand Aspinall rematch

Ciryl Gane reclaimed the UFC interim heavyweight title on Sunday, stopping Alex Pereira inside a round and a half at UFC White House to deny the Brazilian a historic third divisional championship — and wasted no time pointing toward undisputed champion Tom Aspinall.

Gane, known as “Bon Gamin,” controlled the fight from the outset. Pereira, who had moved up three weight classes in pursuit of unprecedented UFC history, never found a rhythm and was unable to put Gane in any significant danger before the stoppage arrived.

“Alex Pereira’s a guy who is very strong and a guy that can take your lights out at any moment,” Gane said at the post-fight press conference via a French translator. “Tom Aspinall’s a guy that’s more well-versed and a more complete fighter overall.”

The interim belt was created after Aspinall’s undisputed title defence against Gane at UFC 321 in October 2025 ended in a no-contest. A Gane eye poke left Aspinall unable to continue inside the first round, with the Briton sidelined since due to eye injuries. Gane had been performing well before the accidental foul, stifling Aspinall’s striking and defending his takedown attempts.

Asked whether he had a message for Aspinall following Sunday’s win, Gane kept it brief. “We have unfinished business,” he said.

Gane also made clear where he wants that unfinished business settled. The UFC is scheduled to return to Paris on September 5, and the Frenchman expressed his desire to headline that card on home soil.

“As soon as possible — in Paris, for example, is a good idea,” Gane said. “But I know, let the staff of the UFC work on it.”

UFC CEO Dana White praised Gane’s performance but stopped short of committing to a timeline for the rematch. “I’m not even thinking about that right now,” White said. “Ciryl Gane — we always say he’s a heavyweight that moves like a middleweight, and he definitely looked like one tonight. We’ll figure out what’s next.”

With Aspinall’s return date still uncertain and Gane now holding the interim belt after a dominant display against one of the sport’s most feared strikers, the pressure is firmly on the UFC to bring the two heavyweights back together — and Gane has already made his preferred venue known.