Dana White said Ciryl Gane wasn't undisputed champ; UFC says otherwise

Dana White created confusion surrounding the UFC heavyweight title picture when he stated that interim champion Ciryl Gane would not be elevated to undisputed status following Tom Aspinall's recent vacation of the heavyweight title due to lingering eye injuries.

Aspiall (15-3) vacated the belt, and UFC protocol typically elevates an interim champion to undisputed status when the reigning champion becomes unavailable. However, prior to UFC 331, White told former UFC fighter Diana Belbita that Gane (14-2), who won the interim title at UFC Freedom 250, would need to earn an undisputed crown. "Does it make [Gane] the undisputed champion? No," White said. "He still got to fight."

The UFC later clarified during the UFC 331 broadcast that Gane is now the undisputed champion, contradicting White's earlier statement. Color commentators Daniel Cormier and Joe Rogan joked that a misunderstanding may have occurred during the interview, attributing the confusion to White's hearing issues.

Gane will defend his undisputed heavyweight title against Josh Hokit (10-0) on November 14 at Madison Square Garden during UFC 334 in New York. The card's co-main event features a bantamweight title clash between Kayla Harrison and Amanda Nunes, while the latest flyweight sensation Bilal Hasan makes his sophomore UFC appearance against Luis Gurule. The main card is completed by bouts between Caio Borralho vs. Yousri Belgaroui and Uros Medic vs. Kevin Holland.