Ciryl Gane Calls Tom Aspinall Mentally Fragile After No-Contest Fallout
The new undisputed heavyweight champion took shots at the man he replaced on the throne.
Ciryl Gane is the UFC heavyweight champion, and he wants everyone to know Tom Aspinall did not handle losing the belt with grace. In an appearance on the Zack En Roue Libre podcast, Gane called Aspinall "mentally fragile" and criticized how the former champion reacted to their no-contest fight.
Gane and Aspinall met for the heavyweight title in October 2025. The fight ended in a no-contest after double eye pokes from Gane left Aspinall unable to continue. Aspinall was later sidelined with eye complications and eventually vacated his title, per Sherdog.
"Tom Aspinall was seen as a monster really, like a freak of nature, but when you look at the numbers, it is a different story," Gane said. "The guy complains quite a bit."
Gane contrasted Aspinall's response with his own experience against Derrick Lewis in 2021, when Gane continued fighting despite compromised vision from an eye poke and went on to win.
Since the Aspinall fight, Gane has been on a tear. He won the interim heavyweight title by knocking out Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 in June and was subsequently promoted to undisputed champion. He is now scheduled to defend the belt against Josh Hokit at UFC 334 on November 14 at Madison Square Garden.
Aspinall has remained quiet since vacating, making Gane's comments feel like a one-sided conversation.
This is a bold move from Gane, and honestly, I think he earned the right to talk. The man knocked out Alex Pereira, got promoted to undisputed champion, and has a MSG title defense lined up. He is not punching down. He is standing on top of the division and pointing out that the guy before him could not handle adversity.
Now, do I think calling a fighter "mentally fragile" is a little much? Yeah. Aspinall had legitimate eye injuries from that fight. But Gane's broader point is fair: champions deal with bad breaks and keep moving. Gane himself fought through an eye poke against Lewis and never made it a public grievance.
The Hokit fight at MSG is next, and I expect Gane to handle that without drama. The real question is whether Aspinall comes back and makes Gane answer for these words inside the Octagon. That is the fight I want to see.
