Matt Brown argues Tom Aspinall vacating heavyweight title creates more problems than it solves
UFC heavyweight Tom Aspinall has vacated his title following a medical setback, leaving the division's future uncertain. MMA analyst Matt Brown suggests that a potential rematch between Ciryl Gane and Alex Pereira may negatively impact Pereira's career trajectory.
Why it matters
The vacancy of a major championship belt creates significant disruption in professional combat sports, affecting rankings and future high-profile matchups.
Tom Aspinall announced on Monday that he was vacating his UFC heavyweight title after suffering a setback in his recovery following multiple surgeries to repair damage done to his eyes following a fight against Ciryl Gane back in 2025.
It’s a heartbreaking turn of events for Aspinall after he waited so long to become undisputed champion —while also trying to fight Jon Jones to for that title — but now he’s out of action for an undetermined amount of time and the UFC has to figure out what to do with the heavyweight title. Technically, Ciryl Gane could easily just get promoted to undisputed champion after he defeated Alex Pereira at the UFC White House card to claim the interim belt but that doesn’t solve the bigger problem when it comes to the overall heavyweight division.
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