Nov 11, 2023; New York, NY, USA; Tom Aspinall (blue gloves) prepares to fight Sergei Pavlovich (red gloves) during UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

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Is Tom Aspinall Fighting Ciryl Gane? Training Session With Paddy Pimblett Reveals Major Hint

Tom Aspinall's training session with Paddy Pimblett might be the hint fans need to solidify rumors of him facing Ciryl Gane!

Nov 11, 2023; New York, NY, USA; Tom Aspinall (blue gloves) prepares to fight Sergei Pavlovich (red gloves) during UFC 295 at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports

The heavyweight division has always been MMA’s most unpredictable playground. Right now, fans have got a fascinating mess brewing at the top. Jon Jones sits pretty as the undisputed heavyweight champion, but he’s playing hard to get with interim champ Tom Aspinall.

Jones has made it crystal clear he’s not thrilled about facing Aspinall. The American seems more interested in legacy fights than proving himself against the hungry Brit. This leaves Aspinall in limbo, holding an interim belt. The UFC needs to keep their interim champion busy, and that’s where things get interesting.

Is Tom Aspinall Fighting Ciryl Gane?

Whispers about an Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane matchup have been floating around for weeks. Even Chael Sonnen, who knows the fight game better than most, has thrown his weight behind these rumors.The pieces seemed to be falling into place, but concrete evidence remained elusive until recently.

Then came the training session that might have spilled the beans. Tom Aspinall was working out with Paddy Pimblett, his fellow British fighter. These sessions usually stay private, but this time something slipped through the cracks. During their workout, Aspinall’s cameraman asked a question that raised eyebrows across the MMA community. He wondered if Paddy was proving to be a good training partner for the upcoming Ciryl Gane fight! (12:06 of this video)

This seemingly innocent question suggested that Team Aspinall is already deep into preparation mode for a specific opponent. The fact that Gane’s name came up so naturally indicates this fight might be further along than anyone publicly admits. The timing also makes perfect sense from the UFC’s perspective. Aspinall needs to stay active while Jones plays his waiting game. Gane, meanwhile, is coming off a decision win over Alexander Volkov. This potential fight represents everything exciting about modern heavyweight MMA. Gone are the days when big men just swung wild haymakers until someone fell down. Aspinall and Gane both bring technical skills, combined with the knockout power that makes heavyweight fights must-see television.

Whether this cameraman’s question was an innocent slip or a calculated leak remains unclear. However, it remains to be seen if this matchup is for the interim or the undisputed heavyweight title, if it materializes.

(Image Credit: Wendell Cruz – Imagn Images)

Ciryl Gane

Jon Jones

Paddy Pimblett

Tom Aspinall

Zaid Quraishi

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I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!