Weeks after running away from Tom Aspinall challenge, Ciryl Gane makes spectacular U-turn in the aftermath of UFC 295

In the main event of tonight’s UFC 295, Alex Pereira made history as the first two-sport two-division champion. Before that, Tom Aspinall swiftly defeated Sergey Pavlovich in just 69 seconds, claiming the interim UFC heavyweight championship.

Ciryl Gane, the former interim heavyweight champion, took note of the victory and expressed his interest in facing the Brit in his next fight. Interestingly, Gane did not share the same opinion when Aspinall called him out after his win over Marcin Tybura at UFC London.

Ciryl Gane puts Tom Aspinall on notice

In the co-main event of UFC 295, Sergey Pavlovich was brutally knocked out by Tom Aspinall proving the betting odds right. His victory even garnered praise from the UFC’s undefeated heavyweight champion and the second-ranked pound-for-pound fighter, Jon Jones. It also drew the attention of the man who Jones defeated in the vacant heavyweight fight at UFC 285.

Jones claimed the heavyweight championship after defeating Ciryl Gane for the vacant title, left open when Francis Ngannou departed from the promotion. Incidentally, Gane has also lost to Ngannou in what was “The Predator’s” first and only title defense at UFC 270.

“Congratulations, Tom. You are now the champion and become the one being pursued, and I am the hunter. See you soon 👀”, Gane tweeted on X. However, Aspinall was not interested in the fight. When asked about fighting Gane next, Aspinall was of the opinion that Gane should be fighting Jailton Almeida who recently beat Derrick Lewis in the main event of the recent UFC Sao Paulo Fight Night.

The UFC has already announced their plan for Stipe Miocic to fight for the undisputed title when Jones returns back from injury. This has put Aspinall in a position where he may have to defend the interim title before even contending for the undisputed title. Rumors have suggested a potential double retirement involving Jones and Miocic, a scenario that could elevate Aspinall to the status of undisputed champion.

Gane rejected Aspinall call out weeks prior

In the post-fight press conference of UFC 295, Tom Aspinall did not entertain Ciryl Gane’s callout. It is mainly due to Gane rejecting Aspinall’s callout when the latter hinted at his interest at the recently concluded UFC Fight Night in London.

Tom Aspinall defeated Marcin Tybura in the very first round in the main event of UFC London. In his post-fight speech, Aspinall called out Ciryl Gane, who was scheduled to fight in the upcoming Paris Fight Night against Sergei Spivak. Moreover, Aspinall was cageside when Gane defeated Spivak at the event.

However, Gane did not respond to Aspinall’s callout citing that he is not interested in fighting below his rankings. Moreover, he said that he would only be fighting for a title in his next bout. Gane later appeared on the MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani and further clarified the reason for his decision. Now, with Aspinall becoming the interim heavyweight champion, Gane found it enticing to fight Aspinall.

Aspinall and Gane stand out as two of the fastest fighters in the heavyweight division. A matchup between the Frenchman and the Brit would be a significant fight, given the historical context between Britain and France. Nevertheless, setting up that bout might take some time due to the current situation in the heavyweight division.

Who do you think will win a fight between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane? Leave your comment below!