Once the blueprint for the “new breed” of heavyweights, Ciryl Gane now stands at a crossroads. At UFC 321, he faces Tom Aspinall in a heavyweight title fight that could define his career.
The Mirage of the Modern Heavyweight
When Gane burst onto the UFC scene, he looked like the future: agile, elusive and technically flawless. Ciryl Gane strung together ten straight wins with effortless composure and the aura of a man redefining what it means to be a UFC heavyweight.
But the mirage faded fast. Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones exposed Gane’s biggest flaws: no wrestling base, no killer instinct, no grit under pressure. What once made Gane feel special now feels incomplete, flawless technique with no brutality to finish the job.
The Ground Game Dilemma to be Tested at UFC 321
Ngannou, fighting on torn knee ligaments, and Jones, returning after a three-year layoff, both exposed Gane’s non-existent ground game, a weakness he claims to have fixed but still needs to prove.
Aspinall presents a more complete challenge than Jones and Ngannou, with two first-round submissions in his last six fights and six first-round knockouts in his UFC career. He’s as comfortable standing as he is grappling, and that’s the danger.
If Gane’s takedown defence fails again, history may repeat itself: a gritless Gane on the canvas.
The Gatekeeper Question Answered at UFC 321
To his credit, Gane hasn’t faded despite his setbacks. He’s beaten back contenders like Tai Tuivasa and Sergi Spivac, both on win streaks at the time, proving he still belongs among the heavyweight elite.
Yet that consistency comes with an uncomfortable truth: he might be the division’s Gatekeeper, too talented to fade, too flawed to fulfil greatness.
Tom Apinall: Everything Ciryl Gane Couldn’t Become
Fast, fluid and ruthless. Tom Aspinall is becoming everything that Ciryl Gane promised to be. The Englishman embodies the modern-day heavyweight Gane once represented, only with the grit and ground game to match.
For Gane, UFC 321 isn’t just another title fight; it’s his reckoning. Can he reclaim the future he once owned, or will Aspinall take it for good?
Watch the Official UFC 321: Aspinall VS Gane fight preview by TNT Sports below:
