Where things stand in the heavyweight department after champ Tom Aspinall leaves title

Sports news

Sports news It’s uncertain what the next relocation is for the department now that Ciryl Gane will be transferred to complete champ

Sep 14, 2026

at 12:51 pm ET

–

5 minutes checked out

        </div>
<div>
    Tom Aspinall's choice to <span>abandon the UFC heavyweight champion</span> as he continues to handle the fallout from the injuries suffered when he was poked in the eyes by Ciryl Gane at UFC 321 has actually left the department in a state of unpredictability.

Considering That Aspinall and Gane went to a no contest as an outcome of Gane’s fouls, a rematch in between the 2 appeared the apparent strategy. That was just additional sealed when Gane beat Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 on the White House South Lawn to catch the interim heavyweight crown.

Aspinall’s return was postponed and postponed once again as he has actually gone through a series of medical treatments to resolve the injuries to his eyes. Because time, the leading fighters in the heavyweight department have actually mainly continued to cannibalize each other, a pattern that goes back years now.

In part, the department’s bigger problems started when the UFC and Francis Ngannou divided amidst agreement disagreements. Ngannou had actually developed himself as the very best heavyweight worldwide, however just protected the champion as soon as (beating Gane at UFC 270 in January 2022) after knocking out Stipe Miocic to declare the belt.

After Ngannou was removed of the belt while leaving the UFC, Jon Jones made a long-awaited transfer to heavyweight where he won the uninhabited belt with a fast submission of Gane. Jones was to safeguard the belt versus Miocic, a battle that didn’t happen up until 20 months after Jones won the title.

While Jones handled injuries and the hold-up in combating Miocic, Aspinall won the interim heavyweight title by knocking out Sergei Pavlovich. Aspinall waited and waited on a chance at Jones that never ever came, with Jones picking to retire and leave the beltcausing Aspinall being promoted to indisputable champ.

At the top of the heavyweight mountain, Aspinall’s eyes fulfilled Gane’s fingers in his very first defense of the title, and now he has actually likewise been required to abandon the title.

Because Ngannou was removed of the champion on Jan. 14, 2023, there have actually just been 3 defend the indisputable heavyweight champion. And 3 successive champs have actually either been removed of or selected to abandon the title.

The apparent next action for the department is for Gane to be promoted from interim to undeniable heavyweight champ. That’s notable, as Gane had actually thrice stopped working to win the undeniable title, losing to Ngannou in 2022, Jones in 2023 and fighting to a no contest with Aspinall in 2025.

Beyond Gane, the department is a twisted web of fighters who have doubtful cases for addition in the title photo.

Let’s have a look on top 10 fighters in the main UFC Media Rankings to get a much better take a look at the state of the department.

1. Ciryl Gane:As specified, Gane is most likely to be the brand-new champ. It’s weird to see a champ who has actually consistently stopped working to catch the title promoted to the position after winning an interim belt versus a fighter who was making his department launching, as was the case for previous middleweight and light heavyweight champ Pereira. And it likewise feels as though Gane is being rewarded for triggering an injury to the champ who needed to abandon the belt due to Gane’s fouls.
2. Alexander Volkov:Volkov is the most deserving male for a heavyweight title shot. In all sincerity, he ought to have been the male battling Aspinall at UFC 321. When Gane and Volkov combated at UFC 310 in what was efficiently a title remover, Gane was granted a split choice win. Nineteen of 20 media outlets tracked by MMA Decisions scored the defend Volkov. Volkov has wins over ranked fighters Sergei Pavlovich and Waldo Cortes-Acosta however has actually likewise lost to Gane (two times), Derrick Lewis and Curtis Blaydes. A title shot does not appear to be in Volkov’s instant future as he is presently set to deal with Rizvan Kuniev at UFC 333.
3. Sergei Pavlovich:Pavlovich has just had 2 losses given that 2019, those coming versus Aspinall and Volkov. He likewise has wins over ranked fighters Lewis, Blaydes and Cortes-Acosta. Pavlovich has actually had lots of success in the department, however with losses to 2 fighters above him in the choice, he requires to climb up a bit greater to land in a title shot unless things break his method with other fighters.
4. Josh Hokit:Hokit is the brand-new amazing heavyweight competitor. He has actually looked great so far in his UFC profession, going through opposition while likewise displaying a huge, questionable character. Hokit has actually required a chance at the title, consisting of requiring a battle with Gane after Aspinall revealed he was abandoning the belt. The greatest mark versus Hokit is that he has actually not combated numerous leading fighters. Hokit won an incredible battle with Curtis Blaydes, which he parlayed into a late area at UFC Freedom 250 where he beat Derrick Lewis, who looked mainly withdrawn in battling.
5. Waldo Cortes-Acosta:Cortes-Acosta’s position at No. 5 in the rankings is momentary. He lost this previous Saturday to Blaydes and did not look excellent in defeat. He does hold wins over present leading 15 fighters Serghei Spivac, Ante Delija and Lewis, however has actually lost to Pavlovich, Volkov and Blaydes, knocking him from elite contention, particularly with the Volkov and Blaydes losses can be found in his 2 newest battles.
6. Curtis Blaydes:Blaydes is a hard out for anybody, however has actually discovered himself in more of a gatekeeper function for the department in present years. His win over Volkov is a fantastic resume-booster, however he has actually lost to Lewis, Pavlovich and Hokit, making him a part of the muddy middle of the department.
7. Rizvan Kuniev:Kuniev is another Blaydes victim, however he has actually rattled off back-to-back wins because that loss, taking a choice over Jailton Almeida and after that knocking out Tyrell Fortune. If Kuniev can beat Volkov in October, he’ll introduce himself up the rankings, however at 34 years of ages, it’s a do-or-die defend Kuniev.
8. Vitor Petrino:After losing back-to-back battles at light heavyweight, Petrino discovered brand-new life in a 2025 relocate to heavyweight. He has 4 wins in the department, the most significant being a choice over Spivac in August. Petrino is a fighter to watch on if he can continue rolling in his brand-new department.
9. Serghei Spivac:While Spivac has wins over Delija and Lewis, he has actually shown to be well listed below champion quality with losses to Gane, Cortes-Acosta, Almeida, Aspinall and others. Spivac is 1-3 given that 2025.
10. Ante Delija:Delija knocked out Marcin Tybura in his UFC launching and has actually because lost to Cortes-Acosta and Spivac.

There are some other intriguing names at heavyweight, consisting of Valter Walker, who presently holds the No. 11 area in the rankings and has actually rattled off a spectacular 5 successive success by method of leg lock.

Former Olympic gold medalist Gable Steveson is likewise set for his 2nd UFC battle this Saturday when he deals with Sean Sharaf. Steveson is some method off of being a heavyweight title competitor, with simply 4 expert MMA bouts to date, none versus anybody nearing elite competitors, however he has the sort of background that makes him a huge risk to anybody.

</div>