Aspinall heavier than Gane before 10-second face-off

Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane UFC 321

Date: Saturday, October 25th, 2018 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi

Before the pair’s heavyweight title fight at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi on Saturday, Tom Aspinall’s fans cheered him as he weighed in heavier than Ciryl Gane.

Manchester’s Aspinall weighed 255lb (18st 3lb), which was 7.5lb heavier than Frenchman Gane’s 247.5lb (17st 9.5lb).

The 32-year-old was greeted by boos as he stepped on the scales, despite being sung by “Tommy Aspinall” chants the entire time.

The pair continued to respect one another during a quick 10-second face-off by ending it with a smile, as they have throughout the entire fight week.

Aspinall, who was pumped up in front of crowds at the Etihad Arena, is defending his undisputed heavyweight title for the first time since becoming interim champion in June.

Make sure you tune in because this is going to be a very special performance, he said.

Before sending a brief message, Gane was his usual calm self, which he appeared to be unbothered by the boos.

Although Gane, 35, was the interim lightweight champion in the UFC, he has lost twice in fights for the undisputed belt, most recently against Jones and Francis Ngannou in 2022.

He won his first fight against Alexander Volkov in December, ending a razor-thin split decision win over Alexander Volkov, and is currently ranked first in the UFC’s heavyweight division.

Aspinall and Gane have shown a lot of respect for one another throughout fight week, and there is no animosity between them.

After months of waiting on Jones, the Briton now has the chance to finally pursue his career.

Fans and pundits believe that Gane represents the division’s toughest test, and if Aspinall wins, he has a good chance of making history at heavyweight.

With three titles, Stipe Miocic currently holds the record for the most consecutive title defenses.

Gane likely has one last chance to win the title, having previously fallen behind twice.

In the lead-up to the fight, Aspinall has garnered a lot of positive reviews, with Gane anticipating that Gane will start the training in the final rounds.