UFC Hall of Famer Michael Bisping thinks the UFC could go with an interim heavyweight title matchup soon, and names the ideal matchup with Tom Aspinall sidelined.
Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC), the current undisputed heavyweight champion, will be out of action for the foreseeable future after undergoing eye surgery. Bisping, who knows a thing or two about dealing with permanent eye damage from fighting, doesn’t want Aspinall to rush back to prevent losing his vision forever. In the meantime, the promotion will likely want to keep the division moving by implementing an interim title.
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“If he’s having surgery, he’s definitely going to be out for at least a few months,” Bisping said in a YouTube video. “So, what are they gonna do? I hate to say it, but it wouldn’t surprise me if coming up very soon we have an announcement of an interim title fight, which will be crazy, because Tom was just the interim champion, the longest reigning interim champion in the history of the organization, gets promoted to undisputed because Jon Jones walked away. We know about that whole saga.
“… If he does need surgery, they are going to do an interim title fight, which leads me on to my guess, which is probably gonna be Ciryl Gane vs. Alex ‘Poatan’ Pereira. If there is gonna be an interim title fight, and I hope there isn’t, I’m not hoping or calling for that at all, but we did see that Alex Pereira said recently, no-go for him at the White House. I thought him vs. Jon Jones would have been a shoo-in for the White House, however, Dana (White) did say that Jon has let him down in the past before or something like that.”
Should the UFC go this route, it would mean Gane (13-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) would compete for an interim heavyweight title for the second time in his career, which he captured at UFC 265 by stopping Derrick Lewis. It would also give him another chance to win a piece of the division’s title immediately after the no contest against Aspinall at UFC 321, caused by his eyepokes, which spoiled a stellar start to that fight.
“(Gane) was looking bloody good against Tom Aspinall, he is a beautiful kickboxer, and stylistically for Alex ‘Poatan’ Pereira, it’s the best matchup,” Bisping said. “Maybe not in all of the heavyweight division because Ciryl Gane is one of the guys that can rival Tom Aspinall in terms of agility, speed, quickness, light on the feet, technical precision. Probably a better kickboxer, but I do get Tom the overall MMA skill, the well-roundedness. I do give Tom the advantage there, but for Alex Pereira, this is a great matchup.”
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Pereira (13-3 MMA, 10-2UFC), who reclaimed the light heavyweight title by stopping Magomed Ankalaev in the first round of their rematch at UFC 320, would be chasing history as the first to capture titles in three divisions. He’s already made some unique title history as the first to ever lose a title in one division and win a title in another in the same calendar year. Winning a title in a third division would just add to the mythical “Poatan” lore.
“I think it’s an opportunity for Alex Pereira and the UFC, for us as fans to see somebody become the first-ever three-weight division champion, which would be unbelievable,” Bisping said. “So, Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane, that is my call, that is my prediction for the new year.”
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: With Tom Aspinall out, analyst sees UFC interim title possibility
