Zuffa LLC

Ciryl Gane has reacted to Tom Aspinall vacating the UFC Heavyweight Championship, and he kept things brief.

Aspinall’s status had been called into question after Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn revealed that his fighter required additional eye tests before getting back in action. UFC CEO Dana White then told reporters that he didn’t think Aspinall wanted to hold up the heavyweight division for much longer, which turned out to be correct.

In a statement posted on social media, Aspinall revealed that a recent “accident” caused another setback with his right eye and he’s decided to relinquish the heavyweight title. Ariel Helwani followed up by reporting Aspinall reinjured the eye when preparing for a rematch with Gane, which would’ve taken place in November. Helwani said that Aspinall will have to let the eye heal on its own until early 2027 before knowing if he needs a third surgery on the eye and fourth in total since being double poked by “Bon Gamin” back in Oct. 2025.

Gane posted footage and images of himself on Instagram hitting the pads, and he added a caption in response to the news of Aspinall’s title vacancy.

“Can’t wait…,” Gane wrote.

Back in June, Gane captured the interim heavyweight gold when he stopped former light heavyweight and middleweight champion Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250. While “Poatan” has been calling for a rematch, surging contender Josh Hokit has inserted himself in the conversation. With big wins over Derrick Lewis and Curtis Blaydes, not to mention his polarizing personality, “The Incredible Hok” might just have a valid case for the next heavyweight title fight.

Meanwhile, Pereira has insisted that Gane should’ve been penalized for landing illegal shots to the back of the head during their first meeting. At this time, there’s no word on which direction the UFC brass is leaning towards with the heavyweight title picture, but we’ll keep you posted once those details emerge.

Do you think Ciryl Gane will be facing Josh Hokit or Alex Pereira next? Is there another name who should face Gane instead? Sound off in the comments below.

This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM