UFC: Who Will Get the Next Heavyweight Title Shot?
On September 14, former UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall announced that, due to lingering eye injuries, he has vacated his title, marking a sad ending to his short-lived title reign.
Related: UFC Champ Tom Aspinall Honorably Vacates Heavyweight Title
With Aspinall giving up his belt, interim UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane will now become the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion.
So, who should Gane fight in his first title defense?
UFC Has Plenty of Options
The UFC has plenty of options for Gane to fight in his first title defense, which seems likely to be the main event of UFC 334, which takes place on November 14 at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
One potential fight that has been ramping up in popularity in recent weeks is a rematch between Gane and Alex Pereira, whom Gane knocked out to claim the interim belt at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14.
With United States President Donald Trump watching from Octagon-side, Gane knocked Pereira out in the second round to claim the interim title.
However, there were several illegal strikes landed by Gane in the finishing sequence, which has led to Pereira going on a very public campaign against referee Herb Dean as he tries to warrant an immediate rematch for the belt.
UFC president Dana White has admitted a rematch between Gane and Pereira is intriguing, though this has not been confirmed as the next fight yet.
Another option is Alexander Volkov, whom Gane beat via controversial split decision at UFC 310 in December 2024.
Most people watching thought that Volkov should have won that fight, but the judges surprisingly went with Gane instead.
Since then, Volkov has won two straight fights to put himself back in title contention. He does have a fight booked against Rizvan Kuniev at UFC 333 next month, but he could be pulled from that fight and given the title shot against Gane instead.
You also have Sergei Pavlovich, the Russian knockout artist who has won three straight fights and who doesn’t currently have a matchup booked.
Finally, there is Josh Hokit, who might be the frontrunner right now for the title shot against Gane, given that he is 4-0 in the UFC, has been hyping up a potential matchup through his trash-talking on social media, and who the fans are getting behind as a serious title contender.
But given that Hokit hasn’t even been fighting in the UFC for one full year yet, perhaps the organization will want him to get a little bit more experience before fighting for the belt.
We’ll likely find out soon, as the UFC will want to get UFC 334 booked and officially announced soon, with Gane in the headliner against one of the men mentioned above.
My Final Take
Personally, I am not a fan of immediate rematches after a finish, especially when it’s not against a title challenger.
In Pereira’s case, not only did Gane knock him out, but he also has zero wins in the UFC heavyweight division.
I understand Pereira’s frustration in that several of the strikes landed against him by Gane during the finishing sequence were to the back of his head, but to me, that’s not enough to get a rematch.
As for Volkov, while I did personally think he beat Gane when they fought, I’m not a huge fan of breaking up fights, and with him already having a matchup booked against Kuniev, I prefer the UFC to allow that fight to take place first.
Therefore, it comes down to two fighters: Hokit and Pavlovich, and you can’t go wrong with either man.
In Hokit’s case, he is arguably the biggest star in the UFC heavyweight division right now, and the promotion should strike while the iron is hot and give him a crack at the belt, which he is highly deserving of after beginning his UFC career 4-0.
As for Pavlovich, I’m OK with him getting the title shot, too, since he is on a three-fight win streak, doesn’t have a fight booked, and it’s a fresh fight for Gane.
Gun to the head, though, I’d go with Hokit for the title shot, since I do believe that his undefeated UFC record, his elite trash-talking skills, and the fact that he had the Fight of the Year against Blaydes should give him a leg up on the rest of the heavyweights when it comes to deciding who gets the next title shot against Gane.
For now, we’ll wait and see what the UFC does, but with Gane healthy and ready to go, look for him to defend his UFC heavyweight title at UFC 334, hopefully against Hokit.
Related: UFC Title Belts That Could Change Hands Before the Year Is Over
This story was originally published by Lindys Sports on Sep 15, 2026, where it first appeared in the Other Sports section. Add Lindys Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.