England’s Tom Aspinall will be looking to begin his reign as undisputed UFC heavyweight champion with a successful first defence of that title against Ciryl Gane in Abu Dhabi on October 25.
The Salford-born Manchester City supporter will no doubt see competing at Etihad Arena as a good omen and is a hot favourite at 1/4 in the UFC 321 odds.
Frenchman Gane, himself a former interim champion, can be backed at 14/5 to finally get his hands on the big belt for real following two previous failed attempts at this level.
Aspinall v Gane To Win Fight Odds
Aspinall v Gane To Win Fight Odds
Boxer | Odds | Chance |
|---|---|---|
Tom Aspinall | 1/4 | 80% |
Ciryl Gane | 14/5 | 26.3% |
*Odds are accurate at time of publishing but subject to change
How To Watch
How to Watch Aspinall vs Gane
The top bouts from UFC 321 will be broadcast live on TNT Sports Box Office, with coverage starting at 19:00 BST.
Tom Aspinall Form Guide
Tom Aspinall Form Guide
Two quick wins in the Cage Warriors competition back in 2019 persuaded Aspinall he was ready to step up to the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and he soon established himself as a rising star with five straight victories.
The Team Kaobon fighter immediately became renowned for his striking ability, with Jake Collier, Alan Baudot and Serghei Spivac handed first-round TKO defeats, but there were also early submission successes versus Andrei Arlovski and Alexander Volkov.
Aspinall suffered a major setback when a freak knee injury led to his sole loss against Curtis Blaydes in July 2022, but he returned to action a year later and got back on track by blitzing Marcin Tybura in 73 seconds.
Sergei Pavlovich lasted just a fraction less time before being knocked out in New York with the interim heavyweight championship on the line, and Aspinall then avenged the Blaydes defeat in a minute in Manchester last summer.
The 32-year-old was upgraded to undisputed title holder following the official retirement of Jon Jones and reacted by posting on Instagram: “For you fans, it’s time to get this heavyweight division going. An active undisputed champion.”
Only one of the champion’s nine UFC bouts has gone beyond the opening round, and another quick stoppage is sure to be popular in many Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane betting tips.
Ciril Gane Form Guide
Ciril Gane Form Guide
'Bon Gamin' is three years older than his opponent and usually weighs in around half a stone lighter at 17st 8lb, but he generally measures up well enough in the tale of the tape.
Both fighters are listed at 6ft 5in, with Gane enjoying a reach advantage of three inches, but Aspinall boasting a slightly longer leg stretch.
A former Muay Thai champion, the Frenchman began his UFC career by rattling off seven consecutive victories, including a third-round TKO of Derrick Lewis to claim the interim heavyweight title in August 2021.
However, six months later, he was outpointed by Francis Ngannou in California when the undisputed championship was up for grabs and Gane was also forced to tap out by Jones in March 2023.
The 35-year-old has since rallied to record a couple of wins, but almost every pundit felt he was very fortunate to prevail via a split decision versus Volkov in Las Vegas last December.
It could be argued that Gane is more battle-hardened, and this will be the fourth time he has headlined a pay-per-view event, whereas Aspinall is entering uncharted territory on that front.
If this bout goes the distance, the challenger’s stamina is also proven, as he has fought for five full rounds on three occasions, so the underdog to prevail on points could be seen by some as a value bet in the UFC 321 odds.
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