Tom Aspinall accepts Ciryl Gane rematch in Paris after UFC White House win
Tom Aspinall watched Ciryl Gane stop Alex Pereira from home and spotted what he called illegal strikes throughout the second-round finish at UFC White House.
The reigning UFC heavyweight champion, who was not invited to the Freedom 250 card in Washington last weekend, told fans on his YouTube channel that Gane looked sharp but landed questionable elbows during the interim title bout. "It looked like there was a lot of illegal elbows going on, illegal punches, but generally, he looked good," Aspinall said, per MMA Mania.
Aspinall agrees to Paris unification bout in September
Aspinall then accepted the rematch on the spot when asked about fighting Gane at the promotion's Sept. 5 show at Accor Arena in France. "Paris in September, right? I'll do that. Yeah, I'll do that. Let me know," he said.
The two heavyweights last met at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi last fall, but the contest was ruled a no contest after an eye poke from Gane nearly caused permanent damage to Aspinall's vision. Aspinall has since recovered and expects to be cleared for the fall date.
Gane claimed the interim strap with a second-round technical knockout over Pereira, who looked stiff and slow according to Aspinall. The winner of the September rematch will hold the undisputed heavyweight title, assuming Aspinall's management allows him to compete under his current UFC deal.
Reported via:
- MMA Mania — Tom Aspinall reacts to ‘illegal elbows’ from Ciryl Gane at UFC White House, agrees to Paris rematch in September
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