MMA: Ciryl Gane is now the first French fighter to win a title in the UFC... but he still has victories to achieve.
Ciryl Gane was officially crowned UFC heavyweight champion on Saturday, September 19, after Tom Aspinall withdrew due to an eye injury. However, facing criticism and the perception of a title won without a fight, the Frenchman still has a long way to go before he can consider himself a "true" champion.
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He will always be the first. The first Frenchman to become UFC champion. Although this came about through quite a mess, Ciryl Gane is still champion. In October 2025, he faced Tom Aspinall for the coveted heavyweight title. The bout ended quickly due to an eye injury. Nearly a year later, in mid-September, Aspinall relinquished his title as the injury prevented him from returning to the octagon to defend it.
However, Gane did not remain inactive. In June 2026, tired of waiting for Aspinall's uncertain return, he knocked out Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 at the White House. By sending the Brazilian to the canvas in the second round, he claimed the so-called interim champion belt, typically awarded to someone who deserves to challenge the champion when the latter is unavailable.
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Ciryl Gane is too great to accept an "email belt"
Thus, when Aspinall announced he was vacating his title, Gane, as the interim champion, was automatically elevated to champion. Cocorico? Not quite. In boxing, there are sometimes references to "email belts," those championship belts obtained via email, in good French. The ones that shine at the top of the world but are received without fighting, by force of circumstance, and about which one learns the good news via email rather than in the ring.
This is roughly what is at stake with Ciryl Gane. The "Bon Gamin" has been pursuing his dream of becoming a champion in the UFC since he made his professional MMA debut in 2018. The liters of sweat and streams of blood lost in training and in the cage cannot be rewarded in this way. Not for a man whose mentality has gradually evolved into that of a champion, an athlete ready to sacrifice his family life and many other elements to prepare for a fight. This explains why he has not always been the first to volunteer in his career.
Next stop: New York
The Frenchman is not naive. While part of the MMA audience mocks him for his “cheating,” following his “eye poke” on Aspinall and some illegal strikes to the back of Pereira's head, and another part questions his legitimacy after past defeats to Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones, Gane has chosen to remain silent and not celebrate his new status.
He settled for a brief message, a terse “Let’s go,” accompanied by the poster for his scheduled fight against Josh Hokit at Madison Square Garden in New York on November 14. An opponent well within his reach, against whom he should prevail without too much difficulty, in order to gain the legitimacy a champion needs in this unique sport. Where public recognition is crucial for building a career, leaving a mark, and reaping handsome rewards.
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