UFC heavyweight title picture 2026: Ciryl Gane, contenders and what happens next
Ciryl Gane is the UFC's undisputed heavyweight champion and will face Josh Hokit on November 14 for his first defence, but how does the future of the division currently look?
The UFC's heavyweight division has always been known for the drama and excitement that means that almost anybody in the division could become champion.
Across the UFC's 33-year history, there have been 20 different undisputed heavyweight champions, across 25 separate title reigns.
UFC legend Mark Coleman was the first, claiming the title in February 1997, and France's Gane is the current champion having been elevated to the undisputed champion after former champ Tom Aspinall relinquished the title on September 14, 2026.
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Aspinall became the undisputed champion in June 2025 after he was also elevated from his status as interim champion when Jon Jones announced his retirement and vacated the title.
But, after sustaining severe eye injuries during his first title defence against Gane in October 2025, Aspinall hasn't been able to return to the octagon and therefore gave up his championship belt to let the division move on.
Who is the UFC heavyweight champion?
UFC heavyweight champion: Ciryl Gane
Champion since: September 20, 2026
How he became champion: Elevated from interim to undisputed champion after former champion Tom Aspinall vacated due to injury.
Professional record: 14–2 (1 NC)
UFC record: 11-2 (1 NC)
Last fight: vs Alex Pereira (W, KO, Round 2), UFC Freedom 250, June 14, 2026.
Next fight: vs Josh Hokit, UFC 334, November 14, 2026.
Aspinall's decision to vacate the title meant that Gane, who beat former middleweight and light heavyweight Alex Pereira at the White House in July to claim the interim heavyweight belt, was elevated to undisputed champion.
Given the fact that it was Gane who fouled Aspinall, causing the severe eye injuries, the decision left a sour taste in the mouthes of many fans, particularly after UFC CEO and president Dana White initially said that they would not be elevating the Frenchman.
But, the division had to move on, and shortly after Aspinall's announcement it was confirmed that Gane was the new champion and he would be facing no.6 ranked Josh Hokit in his first title defence this year.
Next UFC heavyweight title fight: Ciryl Gane vs Josh Hokit
At UFC 334 on November 14, 2026 at Madison Square Garden, New York, Gane defends his title from Hokit in the main event of the evening.
Despite being just No.6 in the rankings, Hokit emerged as the next title challenger due to his rise through the UFC's heavyweight division, boasting an unbeaten 10-0 record.
The title shot against Gane will be the American's fourth fight of the year, an astonishing level of activity for a heavyweight fighter.
Hokit started the year with a knockout win over Denzel Freeman in January before winning a fight of the year contender against former title challenger Curtis Blaydes in April, securing both fight and performance of the night for the unanimous decision victory.
In his last outing, the 28-year-old comfortably beat UFC veteran Derrick Lewis with a second round knockout during the same White House card that later saw Gane claim the interim heavyweight title.
After the fight, he made headlines with disgusting comments mocking former First Lady Michelle Obama that generated massive backlash online, with White also criticising the comments.
Since then, White has continued to be outspoken against Hokit, who continues to play into his controversial character on social media.
“I got a lot of thoughts on [Josh Hokit],” White said in a recent press conference.
“Lots and lots. I’m sure they’re the same thoughts that you’re all having.
“I don’t police what people say,” White said. “I say it all the time—I don’t have to like you for you to thrive here and you to do well and be successful. Many people that I do not like have done very well here. I’m not saying that I don’t like Josh Hokit.
“I literally don’t f***ing like anything that Josh Hokit says. That’s not going to change unless he changes, which I don’t see happening. I’m going to have to deal with that. That’s a ‘me’ issue and I’m sure a ‘you’ issue.”
Despite his impressive start to his UFC career, Hokit remain a heavy underdog for his fight against Gane, but as we all know, anything can happen at heavyweight and maybe we will have another American champion come November 14.
UFC heavyweight contenders and who is next in line
Unlike other combat sports, the UFC's heavyweight rankings don't actually dictate who is next in line for a shot at the title.
Hokit is the perfect example of this having been given a chance to fight Gane for the belt despite the fact that there are five heavyweights above him in the rankings, albeit including both Aspinall and Pereira who would never have been fighting for the title.
In the coming weeks, the title picture at heavyweight will change drastically with three massive fights set to completely shake up the top of the rankings.
On October 24 in Abu Dhabi, No.4 ranked heavyweight Alexander Volkov faces No.5 Rizvan Kuniev early on the main card of featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski's defence against Movsar Evloev.
For many, Volkov should have been handed the title shot against Gane instead of Hokit and therefore, the Russian will almost certainly be next in line should he get the win at UFC 333.
Meanwhile Kuniev has the chance to fully establish himself as a title contender with a win over Volkov.
Then, just three weeks later, Gane and Hokit clash in Las Vegas at UFC 334, with the winner cementing themselves as the heavyweight champion heading into the new year.
But the heavyweight drama won't finish there as current No.2 contender Sergei Pavlovich will face Pereira in the co-main event of the final major event, UFC 335, on December 12.
For either man, a statement knockout win is likely to place them right at the forefront of the title contention picture, particularly for Pereira given his massive popularity amongst fans.
Of course, should former champion Aspinall be medically cleared before the winner of Gane v Hokit fights again, he will certainly be given an immediate shot at his belt.
With all of that in mind, here's a breakdown of the heavyweight title picture and the fighters that you should be looking out for in the near future.
Every UFC heavyweight competing for a shot at the title
Tom Aspinall
Postion: No.1
Current route: Having lost the title after relinquishing the title rather than losing it in a fight, Aspinall will absolutely be first in line for a shot at the heavyweight title when he's back fit and ready to compete.
As it stands, it is not known exactly how long it will take for Aspinall to return from his eye injuries, but it seems that a return in the middle of 2027 is the most optimistic outcome.
"We have worked closely with different doctors and specialists to try and make my return happen, but unfortunately, it's simply not possible right now. I'm absolutely gutted. I've chased this dream since I was 10 years old," Aspinall said in his statement.
"I'm not done. Stepping away from the title is not stepping away from the sport or the dream. I'll continue doing everything I can to get healthy, get cleared and get back to competing as soon as possible."
Should Gane remain champion by the time Aspinall comes back, their rematch would almost certainly be the biggest fight in UFC history given the fact that it was the Frenchman that caused the former champion's injuries.
Alexander Volkov
Postion: No.4
Current route: On paper, it would currently seem that Volkov would be the most likely title challenger following UFC 334, as the Russian heads into his fight with Kuniev as a moderate favourite.
A fight with Gane as the champion would certainly be an interesting one given the fact that Gane picked up a highly controversial decision win over Volkov in December 2024 that eventually led to the French champion getting the title shot against Aspinall.
Rizvan Kuniev
Postion: No.5
Current route:
Of course, a winner over Volkov at UFC 333 would allow Kuniev to leapfrog his rival and put himself right at the forefront of the heavyweight title picture.
However, with just two wins in the UFC's heavyweight division, alongside a loss to Blaydes, it's not certain that Kuniev would be next in line even if he secures the biggest win of his career in Abu Dhabi.
Sergei Pavlovich
Postion: No.2
Current route: Another Russian heavyweight certain to play a key role in the heavyweight picture in the near future is Pavlovich, a fighter known for his frightening persona and first-round finishes.
As the No.2 ranked heavyweight, behind only Aspinall, Pavlovich is in a good position coming off a first round knockout win over Tallison Teixeira, his third win in a row.
In his last title fight, Pavlovich lost rather convincingly to Aspinall and went on to lose lose his next fight to Volkov, losing a bit of the bogeyman persona he had built up.
But with a run of three wins in a row, all it would take to get fans excited about another Pavlovich title fight would be a statement win over Pereira, who remains one of the most popular names in the sport.
Alex Pereira
Postion: No.3
Current route:As arguably the most popular fighter in the UFC right now, Pereira is always in with a chance of securing a title fight at any given moment.
That being said, the manner of Pereira's loss to Gane at the White House (Second round knockout) means that the former middleweight and light heavyweight champion likely needs a big win at heavyweight before challenging for the title.
With that in mind, the Pavlovich is the perfect opportunity to silence any doubters over Pereira's chances of competing at heavyweight.
Given the fact he's likely to be a big underdog, a win over the no.2 ranked heavyweight, particularly if it's a finish, would certainly put Pereira right back at the top of the queue for a shot at the title.
Curtis Blaydes and the chasing pack
Of the rest of the top 15 there are just a few that could find themselves with a title opportunity in the near future.
No.7 ranked Curtis Blaydes has always been a name at the top of the division and recently picked up a huge win over Waldo Cortes-Acosta to bounce back from a loss to Hokit.
If Blaydes can put together a run with at least two more wins within the top 10, he could definitely secure a title shot in the near future.
Cortes-Acosta had a lot of hype heading into 2026, but back to back losses to Volkov and Blaydes means that, despite being no.8 in the rankings, he'd need some big wins to get anywhere close to a title shot anytime soon.
Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou - the wildcards
Admittedly, this isn't likely to happen anytime soon, or ever, but if either Jon Jones or Francis Ngannou returned to the UFC they would no doubt be straight back in for a shot at the title.
Perhaps the most likely scenario that could lead to this would be if Aspinall, who has beaten most of the division already, reclaimed his belt next year.
Jones retired in June last year, but remains tied down to a UFC contract which means he cannot fight elsewhere.
So, if he wants to return to the octagon, it has to be in the UFC, and a fight with Aspinall would absolutely be among the biggest in combat sports history.
Ngannou seems incredibly unlikely because of his public fallout with UFC boss White, but given the fact that he never lost the heavyweight title inside the octagon, his return to the UFC would be massive.
Topics: MMA, UFC, Dana White, Spotlight, Tom Aspinall
Ben McCrum