Overview
- The title fight is scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 25 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi, with prelims from 10 a.m. ET and the main card at 2 p.m. ET on ESPN+ PPV in the U.S. and TNT Sports Box Office in the U.K.
- This is Aspinall’s first official defense since being elevated to undisputed champion following Jon Jones’ June retirement, ending years of heavyweight uncertainty tied to inactivity at the top.
- Sportsbooks list Aspinall as a heavy favorite (around -400), reflecting his run of quick UFC finishes and reinforcing expectations that he can usher in a more active title schedule.
- Gane, a former interim champion, enters his third crack at the undisputed belt after title-fight losses to Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones, saying he has addressed the grappling issues that have previously been exposed.
- Confidence in Aspinall’s camp is high, with his father backing a comfortable matchup, Alexander Volkanovski highlighting the champion’s well-rounded preparation, and Rico Verhoeven assisting to fine-tune the kickboxing look; the co-main crowns a new women’s strawweight champion in Virna Jandiroba vs. Mackenzie Dern.