‘No Problem, We’ll Meet Each Other’

Former interim heavyweight champion, Ciryl Gane has denied refusing to fight incoming UFC 304 headliner and current interim titleholder, Tom Aspinall – claiming the British star has been strategic with his callouts, limiting them to periods when he cannot compete.

Gane, the current number two ranked heavyweight challenger, booked his return to the Octagon overnight, landing a rematch with surging Russian ace, Alexander Volkov in a showdown at UFC 308 in October in a trip to Abu Dhabi.

As for current interim kingpin, Aspinall, the Atherton native co-headlines UFC 304 at the end of this month, himself rematching perennial contender, Curtis Blaydes – attempting to defend his championship.

And initially linked with a showdown against Gane on the same card in Manchester, rumors surfaced that the Frenchman had turned down the pairing, choosing instead to feature in an upcoming movie in an acting role.

Ciryl Gane offers to meet Tom Aspinall sooner than later

However, off the back of booking his Middle East matchup with Volkov, Gane has claimed he will eventually share the Octagon with Aspinall in the future, after voicing his dismay with the timing of his callouts.

“He (Tom Aspinall) only accepts my fights when I cannot,” Ciryl Gane said on Twitch. “He likes to say that I refuse him but the truth is that I have already called him out on the networks. Now that he is above [in the rankings[, he allows himself to say, ‘No, no, no’. No problem, we’ll meet each other.” (via Google Translate)

Sidelined since last year’s annual UFC Paris event in September, hometown favorite, Gane most recently landed a shutout knockout win over common-foe, Serghei Spivak in front of a raucous crowd at the Accor Arena.

Prior to that, Gane dropped just his second career loss in the form of a dominant opening round guillotine choke submission loss to Jon Jones in the pair’s vacant heavyweight championship showdown. 

Who would win in a future title showdown: Tom Aspinall or Ciryl Gane?