French MMA fighter Ciryl Gane has been officially elevated to UFC heavyweight champion after Tom Aspinall relinquished his title in September 2026, unable to compete due to a persistent eye injury sustained during their October 2025 bout. Gane had already held the interim belt after knocking out Alex Pereira in the second round at UFC Freedom 250 in June 2026, meaning his promotion to undisputed champion came without an additional fight — a so-called "email belt" in combat sports parlance. To cement his legitimacy, Gane is set to defend the title against Josh Hokit at Madison Square Garden in New York on 14 November, which he is expected to win comfortably and which would make him the first French UFC champion to earn the title by victory in the cage.