5 UFC fighters who could compete for an interim heavyweight title in Francis Ngannou's absence

#4. Tom Aspinall – No.6-ranked UFC heavyweight contender

The UK's Tom Aspinall is arguably the hottest fighter in the heavyweight division right now

After his big win in London over perennial contender Alexander Volkov last weekend, it’s probably fair to argue that Tom Aspinall is the hottest fighter currently competing in the UFC’s heavyweight division.

The native of the UK only arrived in the octagon in the summer of 2020, but he’s already picked up five victories and has finished all of his opponents, including former heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski.

Aspinall possesses tremendous skills in all areas, including a slick boxing game, powerful takedowns and dangerous submissions. More to the point, he’s also surprisingly quick for a big man, something that clearly took Volkov by surprise in their bout.

Sure, Aspinall is only ranked at No.6 right now and will need at least one more win to break into the top five, but if the UFC wants to reward a fighter who is on top form right now, they could definitely push him into a potential interim title fight in the near future.

Given that he’s already called out No.3-ranked Tai Tuivasa, to see that fight happen with gold on the line in late 2022 would not be a surprise at all.

---

#3. Ciryl Gane – former interim UFC heavyweight champion and current No.1-ranked contender

Could Ciryl Gane regain the interim heavyweight title he lost earlier this year?

Despite the fact that he was eventually beaten by Francis Ngannou convincingly in their unification bout, it wouldn’t be a shock to see the UFC offer former interim heavyweight champ Ciryl Gane another shot at the title in the near future.

Essentially, ‘Bon Gamin’ came closer to beating Ngannou than anyone else has done in recent years. While he was unable to fend off the takedowns of ‘The Predator’, it’s hard not to consider him the second-best heavyweight on the planet right now.

After all, the Frenchman has wins over the likes of Derrick Lewis, Alexander Volkov and Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Prior to his loss to Ngannou, he’d never been beaten.

More to the point, he arguably possesses the best striking game of any heavyweight in the promotion, with phenomenal technical prowess marrying up to his brutal knockout power.

Sure, he’s coming off a loss, something that might put the UFC off booking him into another immediate title bout, but the truth is that he’d be the betting favorite against anyone not named Ngannou right now, making him a worthy interim champ if it comes to that.