Tom Aspinall Booed in Paris Ahead of Ciryl Gane Showdown
When Tom Aspinall stepped onto the stage in Paris for his first face-off with Ciryl Gane, he probably expected some noise from the French crowd. But what he got was far more than that. Every word he tried to speak was drowned out by relentless boos from thousands of Gane supporters. The scene turned into a spectacle where the Englishman, usually cheered for his rise to the heavyweight throne, found himself the villain in enemy territory.
Aspinall, 32 years old and now the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, will defend his belt against Gane on October 25th in Abu Dhabi. The boos began almost immediately during the press conference, forcing him to pause mid-sentence. At one point, he gave up trying to compete with the noise, leaning back and saying with a shrug, “Ciryl, you just do your thing, I’ll just chill.” The reaction from the Parisian fans? Even louder cheers for their hometown hero.
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The UFC cleverly staged this press event to capitalize on the passion of French MMA supporters. Paris has become known for its wild fight night atmospheres, and Friday’s promotion proved no different. The crowd was firmly behind Gane, who at 35 is chasing his third attempt at the UFC heavyweight crown after falling short against Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones. Despite criticism of his ground game, Gane reminded everyone he has worked tirelessly with his team to strengthen those areas. He insisted this time would be different, declaring, “Tom’s the man to beat, but he’s never fought someone like me. I bring something different.”
For Aspinall, the road to this defence has been a whirlwind. Just last year he was chasing Jon Jones, desperate for the blockbuster fight that never materialized. Instead, Jones retired, and Aspinall was elevated to undisputed champion in June. His dominance has been clear: he has finished all his UFC victories inside the distance, most of them in the first round. He even holds the record for the shortest average fight time in UFC history. But his calm composure was tested in Paris, where for once the crowd was not in his corner.
Still, Aspinall did manage to get a few words in. His warning was simple but chilling: “If I hit anybody, I can knock anybody out. Ciryl is no exception.” He acknowledged Gane’s improvements but pointed out that both men represent the new era of heavyweights—fighters who carry knockout power but move with the agility of lighter divisions. That’s what makes this match-up so intriguing: two 6ft 5in athletes with the speed, skill, and power to end things in seconds.
Their face-off ended without drama—just a handshake and smiles. But the stage is now set. On October 25th, in Abu Dhabi, Tom Aspinall will finally defend his title for the first time. And standing across from him will be Ciryl Gane, buoyed by the support of his nation and determined to turn heartbreak into history. The boos in Paris were just the beginning—the real noise will be made inside the Octagon.
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