Latest news with #UFC304
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Tom Aspinall Shares Key Update on His Heavyweight Title Defense
Tom Aspinall Shares Key Update on His Heavyweight Title Defense originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After 359 days out, the UFC heavyweight champ finally gives a clear update on what's next. It has been 359 days and counting since Tom Aspinall last stepped inside the UFC Octagon. The heavyweight champion's most recent appearance came at UFC 304 in July 2024, where he delivered a statement performance by avenging his only UFC loss to Curtis Blaydes with a first-round knockout. Now, as the wait stretches close to a year, the champ is finally hinting that big things are ahead. In a recent sit-down interview with UFC on Eurosport, Aspinall provided an update on his highly anticipated return. When asked if his next fight is officially locked in, the champion didn't hesitate: 'Yes it is. As far as signed, I can't remember the last time I've physically signed a contract. They just ask me and I say yes—usually I sign the contract on fight week.' That candid response signals something concrete is coming soon, and fans have every reason to keep their eyes on the heavyweight scene. This next move isn't just important for Aspinall; it's crucial for the UFC. The heavyweight division has been stuck in limbo following Jon Jones' long absence and his back-and-forth over whether to defend the title or walk away for good. Now, with Aspinall committed to staying active, momentum could finally return to a weight class that's been begging for clarity. The champion has vowed to defend his belt often and 'clean out the division.' If that promise holds true, the heavyweight landscape is about to heat up in a big way—and soon. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
Forbes
20 hours ago
- Sport
- Forbes
UFC 321 Main Event: Tom Aspinall Vs. Ciryl Gane Opening Betting Odds
Tom Aspinall becomes heavyweight champion after beating Curtis Blaydes during the Heavyweight bout ... More at the Co-op Live Arena, Manchester. Picture date: Sunday July 28, 2024. (Photo by Richard Sellers/PA Images via Getty Images) UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall gets his first official title defense on October 25 when he faces former interim champ Ciryl Gane in the main event of the UFC 321 pay-per-view fight card from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. We look at the opening betting odds for Aspinall vs. Gane UFC 321 Fight Card Main Event: Tom Aspinall Vs. Ciryl Gane Opening Betting Odds And Line Movement Not long after UFC CEO Dana White announced the UFC 321 main event, BetOnline came out with betting lines for the fight. Aspinall opened as the -350 betting favorite over Gane, who opened as the +285 betting underdog. Less than 24 hours since White announced the matchup, Aspinall has moved to -400, while Gane is now +300. UFC 321 Fight Card Main Event: Tom Aspinall Vs. Ciryl Gane MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JULY 27: Tom Aspinall of England reacts after his knockout victory against ... More Curtis Blaydes in the interim UFC heavyweight championship bout during the UFC 304 event at Co-op Live on July 27, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Tom Aspinall (15-3) had a 7-2 professional MMA record when the UFC inked him to a deal in 2020. Aspinall made his promotional debut in July 2020 with a 45-second knockout win over Jake Collier. The win earned the then 27-year-old his first 'Performance of the Night' bonus. A knockout win over Alan Baudot followed in October of that year. Aspinall made it three stoppages in a row in February 2021 when he tapped Andrei Arlovski in the second round of their matchup, a card that was headlined by Curtis Blaydes losing to Derrick Lewis by second-round KO. Aspinall's win over Arlovski broke him into the rankings at No. 13. First-round stoppage wins over Serghei Spivac (TKO) and Alexander Volkov (submission) followed the Arlovski triumph. The Blaydes matchup was next on Aspinall's schedule. The injury he suffered in that contest kept him out of action until July 2023 when he stepped into the Octagon to face Marcin Tybura. Aspinall showed no hesitation or ill effects from his knee injury, as he dispatched Tybura in 73 seconds, winning the fight by TKO. Then, with UFC heavyweight champion Jon Jones injured and out of his scheduled UFC 295 matchup against Stipe Miocic, the UFC tapped Aspinall and Sergei Pavlovich to face off for the interim heavyweight title at UFC 295. Aspinall won the bout, and the title, with a 69-second knockout. Aspinall defended the interim crown once, defeating Curtis Blaydes via knockout at the 1:00 mark of Round 1 of their UFC 304 matchup. Now 32, Aspinall has seven first-round stoppage wins and one second-round stoppage victory under the UFC banner. He has never gone past 1:09 of the second round in UFC action. Aspinall has earned seven 'Performance of the Night' bonuses during his UFC run. The only win he has where he failed to pick up a post-fight bonus was his win over Baudot in 2020. LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - DECEMBER 07: Ciryl Gane of France looks on before a heavyweight bout against ... More Alexander Volkov of Russia during the UFC 310 event at T-Mobile Arena on December 07, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC) Ciryl Gane (13-2) is the No. 1 fighter in the official UFC heavyweight rankings. The 35-year-old French competitor has only lost in UFC title fights, falling to Francis Ngannou by decision in 2022 for the undisputed title, and losing to Jon Jones via submission in 2023 for the vacant belt. Gane did capture the interim heavyweight belt in 2021 with a knockout of Derrick Lewis. Gane debuted with the UFC in 2019 following a Muay Thai career. He was 3-0 in MMA when he first fought inside the Octagon. Gane went 7-0 to begin his UFC career. His first loss came in a title unification bout against Ngannou. Gane enters UFC 321 on a two-fight winning streak. He defeated Serghei Spivac by TKO in September 2023. In his most recent trip to the Octagon, Gane bested Alexander Volkov via decision at UFC 310. Tom Aspinall Named UFC Heavyweight Champ LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - MARCH 08: UFC CEO Dana White holds a press conference after the UFC 313 event at ... More T-Mobile Arena on March 08, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC) In June, then-UFC heavyweight champ Jon Jones retired. The UFC named Aspinall the undisputed champion at that time. "Jon Jones called us last night and retired. Jon Jones is officially retired. Tom Aspinall is the heavyweight champion of the UFC," White said during the post-fight press conference following the UFC Baku fight card. "I obviously feel bad for Tom that he lost all that time and money, but we'll make it up to him," White added. "Tom Aspinall is a good guy. He's been incredible through this whole process that we've gone through. He's been willing to do anything – fight him anywhere at any time and do this. Now he's like, 'I'll fight anybody. Tell me who and I'll fight him.' Aspinall has been great. He's going to be a great heavyweight champion for us and I'm excited to work with him." "International Fight Week starts Monday in Las Vegas," White continued. 'Tom will be in Vegas all week with us, so we'll get together with him and figure out what's next.' Tom Aspinall Was The Longest Serving UFC Interim Champion LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - APRIL 13: UFC interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall attends the UFC 300 ... More event at T-Mobile Arena on April 13, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images) Aspinall won the interim UFC heavyweight crown in November 2023 with a knockout victory over Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295. Aspinall took that fight on short notice when the original main event for that card, Jon Jones vs. Stipe Miocic for Jones's heavyweight title was scrapped following an injury to Jones. Despite Aspinall winning the interim crown, UFC CEO Dana White remained steadfast in saying that Jones vs. Miocic was the fight to make. That fight did not take place until November 2024. Jones held on to his belt that night, beating Miocic by TKO in the third round. By that time, Aspinall had already defended his interim crown, scoring a first-round knockout win over Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in July 2024. Aspinall, who has not fought since he defeated Blaydes, had been waiting for the title unification bout with Jones since Jones's win over Miocic in November. In late April, Aspinall became the longest-serving UFC interim champion, topping the 535-day reign of Renan Barao, who defended his interim title twice before being named undisputed champion. UFC 321 Official Fights Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane: For Aspinall's UFC heavyweight title Alexander Volkov vs. Jailton Almeida: Heavyweight Aleksander Rakic vs. Azamat Murzakanov: Light Heavyweight Hamdy Abdelwahab vs. Chris Barnett: Heavyweight Ikram Aliskerov vs. Junyong Park: Middleweight Azat Maksum vs. Mitch Raposo We will have more on UFC 321, including opening betting odds for the co-main event when that fight is made official.
Al Etihad
a day ago
- Sport
- Al Etihad
It's Aspinally vs Gane finally for 'huge card' at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi
24 July 2025 22:02 KUUMAR SHYAM (ABU DHABI)Tom Aspinall will make his first undisputed heavyweight title defence against France's Ciryl Gane in the headline bout of UFC 321, set to take place on October 25 at Etihad Arena on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.'This is what I've worked for my entire life. To fight someone like Ciryl Gane, to be the undisputed champion, to defend my belt on a huge card in Abu Dhabi,' Aspinall told MMA Fighting after the announcement. According to Aspinall, this is a fight destined and finally happening after four rounds of stalling. The Manchester-born champion (15-3) returns to the Octagon riding a wave of momentum, which started when Gane avoided him at the start.'Me and Ciryl Gane finally signed on the dotted line. This is the fourth time we've been matched up together. He turned me down for a fight early on, before we were in the rankings,' Aspinall reminded that after he had called out the winner of Gane vs. Serghei Spivac in 2023, but 'Ciryl turned down the fight on a second occasion'.Aspinall claimed the interim title with a knockout win over Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 295 in November 2023, followed by a dominant defence against Curtis Blaydes at UFC 304 in July 2024. A unification bout with Jon Jones appeared inevitable, but the long-reigning champion chose to face Stipe Miocic at UFC 309, and then retired, prompting the UFC to elevate Aspinall to undisputed champion out of Paris, the former interim titleholder Gane (13-2) is revered for his movement, timing and high-level striking. With victories over Derrick Lewis, Tai Tuivasa, and Volkov on his résumé, the Frenchman now eyes a second shot at undisputed gold – and redemption – in his first bout for the 321, in partnership with the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi), underscores the emirate's growing status as an elite MMA destination. Previous events hosted in the city include Khabib Nurmagomedov's triumphant UFC 242 title defence and last year's memorable clash between Ilia Topuria and Max Holloway at UFC 308. Tickets for UFC 321 will go on sale at 1pm local time on Friday via the website. Premium VIP Experience packages will also be available through UFC's official VIP partner, On Location, offering behind-the-scenes access, hospitality, and fighter meet-and-greets. Additional bouts on the card include: ● Aleksandar Rakic (14-5, fighting out of Vienna, Austria) will take on undefeated Azamat Murzakanov (15-0, fighting out of New Jersey, USA) in a light heavyweight matchup.● Two heavyweight contenders face off as Alexander Volkov (38-11, fighting out of Moscow, Russia) takes on Jailton Almeida (22-3, fighting out of Salvador, Brazil).● Azat Maksum (15-2, fighting out of Kaskelen, Kazakhstan) faces Mitch Raposo (9-3, fighting out of Massachusetts, USA), who looks to get back in the win column, in a flyweight fight.● Ikram Aliskerov (16-2, fighting out of Dagestan, Russia) takes on vs JunYong Park (19-6, fighting out of Seoul, South Korea) in what promises to be a thrilling middleweight fight.● Hamdy Abdelwahab (4-1, fighting out of New York, USA, by way of Egypt) faces off against Chris Barnett (23-9, fighting out of Florida, USA) in a heavyweight bout.
Economic Times
3 days ago
- Sport
- Economic Times
Tom Aspinall's first title defense is a monster clash with Ciryl Gane at UFC 321
Tom Aspinall face Ciryl Gane at UFC 321, confrimed by Dana Image via Getty Titanic fights have long characterized the UFC heavyweight division, and the main event of UFC 321 is expected to carry on that tradition. Former interim champion Ciryl Gane and recently crowned undisputed champion Tom Aspinall will square off in a high-stakes match at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on October 25. This bout has the potential to change the heavyweight ranks' power dynamics in addition to being Aspinall's first title defense. On a surge of energy, Aspinall (15-3) makes his way into the Octagon. The British powerhouse has become one of the sport's most thrilling finishers thanks to his lightning-fast hands, precise boxing, and unexpected agility for a heavyweight. He has won 12 of his 15 fights via knockout, and he hasn't advanced past the first round since early 2021. He defeated Curtis Blaydes in the first round of his most recent fight at UFC 304, a decisive victory that solidified his place as a dominant force. When then-champion Jon Jones formally announced his retirement, Aspinall was promoted from interim to undisputed champion after months of waiting for a unification fight. Though many fans wanted to see the Brit clash with Jones, the bout never materialized, making Gane the most logical and deserving next Gane (13-2), meanwhile, is no stranger to high-level French striker, who was once an interim champion himself, has demonstrated some of the most technically sophisticated stand-up in heavyweight history. He has defeated fighters like Derrick Lewis, Tai Tuivasa, and Alexander Volkov thanks to his ability to outstrike opponents with precise striking and his middleweight-like footwork and distance management. However, there have been conflicting responses to Gane's recent performances, particularly his contentious decision win over Volkov at UFC 310. Gane's grappling shortcomings have frequently been criticized, especially following his defeat by Jon Jones, who submitted him in the opening round. Aspinall, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt with a well-rounded style that can reveal weaknesses in the ground, might use that weakness as a major their history of animosity—Aspinall had previously charged Gane with avoiding a fight earlier this year—the two are now headed for conflict. In addition to the clash of styles, the fight has sparked a lot of interest in the MMA community because it marks the beginning of a new era in the heavyweight division following make the title picture even more intriguing, the UFC 321 card will also include a heavyweight eliminator between Jailton Almeida and Alexander Volkov as the co-main event. The winner of Aspinall vs. Gane might find themselves at the epicenter of a golden age for the division, with contenders circling and a new generation of heavyweights emerging. Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane provides all the elements that fans desire in a sport that thrives on the unexpected: strength, skill, story, and repercussion. The main event of UFC 321 might be remembered as one of the pivotal bouts of 2025, regardless of whether it ends in a vicious finish or a five-round chess match.
Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Tom Aspinall's first title defense is a monster clash with Ciryl Gane at UFC 321
Titanic fights have long characterized the UFC heavyweight division , and the main event of UFC 321 is expected to carry on that tradition. Former interim champion Ciryl Gane and recently crowned undisputed champion Tom Aspinall will square off in a high-stakes match at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on October 25. This bout has the potential to change the heavyweight ranks' power dynamics in addition to being Aspinall's first title defense. On a surge of energy, Aspinall (15-3) makes his way into the Octagon. The British powerhouse has become one of the sport's most thrilling finishers thanks to his lightning-fast hands, precise boxing, and unexpected agility for a heavyweight. He has won 12 of his 15 fights via knockout, and he hasn't advanced past the first round since early 2021. He defeated Curtis Blaydes in the first round of his most recent fight at UFC 304, a decisive victory that solidified his place as a dominant force. Explore courses from Top Institutes in Please select course: Select a Course Category Digital Marketing Data Science Others healthcare Public Policy Operations Management Design Thinking MCA Cybersecurity Product Management MBA PGDM others CXO Data Analytics Management Healthcare Leadership Project Management Finance Data Science Skills you'll gain: Digital Marketing Strategy Search Engine Optimization (SEO) & Content Marketing Social Media Marketing & Advertising Data Analytics & Measurement Duration: 24 Weeks Indian School of Business Professional Certificate Programme in Digital Marketing Starts on Jun 26, 2024 Get Details Skills you'll gain: Digital Marketing Strategies Customer Journey Mapping Paid Advertising Campaign Management Emerging Technologies in Digital Marketing Duration: 12 Weeks Indian School of Business Digital Marketing and Analytics Starts on May 14, 2024 Get Details When then-champion Jon Jones formally announced his retirement, Aspinall was promoted from interim to undisputed champion after months of waiting for a unification fight. Though many fans wanted to see the Brit clash with Jones, the bout never materialized, making Gane the most logical and deserving next opponent. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Cargo Ship Meets Pirates - Watch What the Captain Does Next! Tips and Tricks Undo Ciryl Gane (13-2), meanwhile, is no stranger to high-level competition. The French striker, who was once an interim champion himself, has demonstrated some of the most technically sophisticated stand-up in heavyweight history. He has defeated fighters like Derrick Lewis, Tai Tuivasa, and Alexander Volkov thanks to his ability to outstrike opponents with precise striking and his middleweight-like footwork and distance management. However, there have been conflicting responses to Gane's recent performances, particularly his contentious decision win over Volkov at UFC 310. Live Events Gane's grappling shortcomings have frequently been criticized, especially following his defeat by Jon Jones, who submitted him in the opening round. Aspinall, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt with a well-rounded style that can reveal weaknesses in the ground, might use that weakness as a major weapon. Despite their history of animosity—Aspinall had previously charged Gane with avoiding a fight earlier this year—the two are now headed for conflict. In addition to the clash of styles, the fight has sparked a lot of interest in the MMA community because it marks the beginning of a new era in the heavyweight division following Jones. To make the title picture even more intriguing, the UFC 321 card will also include a heavyweight eliminator between Jailton Almeida and Alexander Volkov as the co-main event. The winner of Aspinall vs. Gane might find themselves at the epicenter of a golden age for the division, with contenders circling and a new generation of heavyweights emerging. Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane provides all the elements that fans desire in a sport that thrives on the unexpected: strength, skill, story, and repercussion. The main event of UFC 321 might be remembered as one of the pivotal bouts of 2025, regardless of whether it ends in a vicious finish or a five-round chess match.
