Gane sheds 'interim' tag after Aspinall relinquishes belt

Howlett, known for crossing the line, earns first title shot after just four UFC fights

Ciryl Gane (left), elevated to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, will defend his title against Josh Howlett. [Getty Images]
Ciryl Gane (left), elevated to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, will defend his title against Josh Howlett. [Getty Images]

Ciryl Gane has been elevated to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion and will make his first title defense against Josh Howlett.

The UFC upgraded Gane from interim champion after Tom Aspinall relinquished the heavyweight title. Gane will defend the belt against No. 6-ranked Howlett at UFC 334, set for Nov. 14 (local time) at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Gane captured the interim title in June at UFC Freedom 250 — the White House event — by knocking out Alex Pereira in the second round. He had been expected to face Aspinall in a title unification bout, but Aspinall, already dealing with an eye injury, suffered a new injury to his right eye that will sideline him for an extended period, prompting him to vacate the belt and Gane to inherit it.

When the matchup with Howlett was announced, Gane posted a brief message on his social media: "Let's get it."

Howlett earned his title shot after just four UFC fights, winning three times this year alone to climb rapidly to a championship opportunity.

UFC CEO Dana White again expressed his discomfort with Howlett — known for his outspoken behavior — at a post-fight press conference following UFC 331 on Saturday.

"It's not that I dislike Howlett. It's that I don't like anything he says," White said. "That's not going to change unless he changes, and ultimately it's my problem to deal with."

In response, Howlett fired back on social media: "C'mon, anything?!"

Howlett drew controversy in June at the White House event after making baseless remarks targeting former first lady Michelle Obama.

Meanwhile, it was also confirmed that women's bantamweight champion Kayla Harrison will defend her title against Amanda Nunes at UFC 334.


yjc@heraldcorp.com