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Joe Rogan Clarifies UFC Heavyweight Title Confusion After Dana White’s Remarks
A recent mix-up involving UFC President Dana White’s comments on Cyril Gane’s championship status prompted Joe Rogan to step in and set the record straight.
Earlier this week, Tom Aspinall vacated the UFC heavyweight title due to an eye injury, leaving fans wondering about the future of the belt. Since Gane held the interim heavyweight title and was involved in the original injury incident, many expected him to be recognized as the undisputed champion. However, White initially indicated that Gane had not yet been promoted to undisputed champion status.
When asked by Diana Belbita if Aspinall’s decision made Gane the undisputed champion, White responded, “No. He’s still got to fight.” He did, however, suggest that Gane’s next fight would be for the undisputed title, with an announcement expected soon.
The situation took a turn when Joe Rogan and former UFC fighter Daniel Cormier clarified that White had misspoken. Rogan confirmed on air that Cyril Gane is indeed the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion, explaining, “Dana White mispoke at a press conference and said he didn’t. He said he messed up afterwards.”
Cormier humorously added that White might have misunderstood the question due to an ear issue, saying, “If you’re not talking to him on the right side, he might misunderstand the question.” Rogan chimed in, noting, “He’s deaf in one ear.”
Following this clarification, White was asked about the contradictory statements and acknowledged the error with a laugh: “Nothing, I f—– up.”
It is now official that Gane will defend his undisputed heavyweight title against Josh Hokit at UFC 334 this November at Madison Square Garden, promising an exciting matchup for fans to anticipate.