Former interim heavyweight champion, Ciryl Gane has offered to fight current interim titleholder, Tom Aspinall in a return to the Octagon atop a planned UFC Fight Night Paris card in September – denying claims he turned down fights against him, nor a clash with Russian contender, Sergei Pavlovich.
Gane, the current number two ranked heavyweight contender, has been sidelined since last September – most recently turning in a dominant second round knockout win over Serghei Spivac in the pair’s headliner.
Trotted out in his native France twice thus far since the promotion’s landing in the country, Gane had previously stopped Tai Tuivasa with a vicious knockout at the Accor Arena – before failing to land vacant gold in a heavyweight title fight against current champion, Jon Jones.
Weighing up his options ahead of a return to the Octagon this summer – potentially at a pay-per-view card in Manchester, Aspinall has welcomed the chance to fight Curtis Blaydes in a future interim title rematch, before claiming Gane had turned down multiple opportunities to fight him inside the Octagon.
Ciryl Gane responds to Tom Aspinall
Reacting to the Atherton native’s claims this week, Gane denied that suggestion, before offering to fight the Brit in a September return to the Octagon.
“I never say no to any challenge or any opponent,” Ciryl Gane posted on his official X account. “(Curtis) Blaydes was never an option. They [the UFC] said (Sergei) Pavlovich. I said yes. Don’t worry, I’ll see you in September. Stop tripping.”
.@AspinallMMA, I never, ever say no to any challenge or any opponent.
Blaydes was never an option.
They said Pavlovich, I said yes.
Don't worry, I'll see you in September, stop tripping
@Mickmaynard2 @danawhite
— Ciryl Gane (@ciryl_gane) April 9, 2024
Himself winning interim spoils last November at Madison Square Garden, Aspinall turned in a dominant first round KO win over the above-mentioned, Pavlovich – and has since chased a title unification bout, unsuccessfully, against the above-mentioned, Jones.
Who wins in a future title fight: Tom Aspinall or Ciryl Gane?