Dana White is officially over it. Every time he steps in front of a mic, it’s the same question. When is Tom Aspinall fighting Jon Jones? The UFC boss in his latest response summed up his frustration perfectly. “The fight’s gonna happen. It’s a matter of when now. It’s done but it’s not done.” Everything is set, except for the part where they actually sign on the dotted line. And while we remain stuck in this never-ending cycle of ‘will-they-won’t-they’ between the champ and interim champ, the rest of the heavyweight division still exists.

Case in point? Sergei Pavlovich, who may have just dropped a major hint about his next fight. And fans are taking notice. MMA Orbit posted on X (formerly Twitter), where a fan pitched an idea. “Sergei vs. Ciryl 🔥.” Pavlovich’s response? A simple, but telling, “wink.” And just like that, speculation ignited like a gas leak near an open flame. Sergei Pavlovich vs. Ciryl Gane? That’s a fight worth talking about.

Poll of the day

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Is it time for the UFC to move on from Jon Jones and focus on new heavyweight matchups like Aspinall vs. Gane?

Yes, it's time for fresh matchups

No, Jones is still the main draw

Only if Jones continues to delay

Not sure

Do you believe Jack Della Maddalena can overcome Belal Muhammad's relentless pressure and claim the welterweight title?

Yes, JDM's striking will prevail

No, Belal's pressure is too much

It's a toss-up

Not sure

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Is Jamahal Hill's repeated withdrawal from fights damaging his reputation?

Yes, it's hurting his image

No, injuries happen

He's just being cautious

Not sure

Is it fair for UFC fighters like Jack Della Maddalena to resort to crowdfunding for team expenses?

Yes, it's part of the sport

No, UFC should cover all costs

Depends on the fighter's status

Not sure

Who should be Dustin Poirier's final opponent for his swan song in Louisiana?

Max Holloway for a trilogy

Justin Gaethje to settle the score

Paddy Pimblett for a fresh challenge

Someone else entirely

Want to dive deeper?

Here are the articles that inspired recent polls.

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To crank up the heat a little, this isn’t the first time these two have been lined up to throw hands. Back in 2020, Pavlovich was set to fight Gane, but an injury said, ‘not today.’ Fast forward to now, and both guys are clawing their way back into the title picture. Pavlovich? He got put to sleep by Aspinall in one round and then hit a speed bump named Alexander Volkov. But finally bounced back with a win over Jairzinho Rozenstruik,

And ‘Bon Gamin’? Well, he’s been on his own rollercoaster. He lost title fights to Francis Ngannou and ‘Bones’. But managed to put Tai Tuivasa and Serghei Spivac on highlight reels before edging past Volkov at UFC 310. A decision even he didn’t seem too thrilled about, and one that had the UFC boss himself apologizing to ‘Drago.’ And with the heavyweight rankings more jammed up than rush hour in LA, this fight might just be the traffic-clearing wrecking ball we need.

If you keep aside the Jones factor, the heavyweight division has enough and more stars to keep the wheels turning. Tom Aspinall will fight anyone and everyone. He defended an interim belt that should have been declared the undisputed belt long ago. The only thing holding up his activity is the desire to vie for the undisputed title. That’s one side of a big fight already raring to go. All Dana White has to do is find him a dance partner, even if he is not named Jon Jones. And Gane fits that bill perfectly.

But enough about the logistics, let’s get to the fun part. The MMA  community has spoken, and they have thoughts.

“Aspinall vs. Gane” — Fans take over Dana White’s job

While Dana White plays contract tug-of-war, fans have already started matchmaking. One fan summed it up best. “I like it. The winner gets the potential Jones vs. Aspinall matchup.” Hard to argue with that logic, someone needs to keep the division moving. But of course, not everyone is sold on the matchup.

“Yeah I guess🤷‍♂️ Gane definitely lost to Volkov & Pavlovich ain’t looked the same since Aspinall beat him but we need to start seeing some fights booked at the top of HW.” Right? Aren’t we tired of waiting? Book. The. Fights. “If Gane wins, I reckon they’d do Aspinall vs. Gane.” Makes sense, but let’s not say it too loud or Jon Jones might hear us. Another fan quipped, “Ciryl Gane vs. Tom Aspinall for the undisputed heavyweight championship. I love Jon Jones, but it’s time to take the fight or retire, and he shouldn’t be granted months on months on months to think if he’s going to fight or not.”

Around this time last year, the Frenchman and the Brit were clashing on social media, over the latter accusing Gane of ducking him. “He’s dismissed me on multiple occasions and I’m not the first guy he’s dismissed, I’m not the first guy that he’s ducked,” Aspinall said on The MMA Hour. “The reason that I got the Pavlovich fight is because Ciryl didn’t want it. So he ducked Pavlovich, he then ducked Curtis Blaydes — Curtis Blaydes has been on record saying that… I asked for him years ago, didn’t want it then. I then asked for him in Paris. They flew me over, we tried to make that fight, he didn’t want it then. ”

Gane’s response? A statement on X that read, “I never, ever say no to any challenge or any opponent. [Curtis] Blaydes was never an option. They said [Sergei] Pavlovich, I said yes. Don’t worry, I’ll see you in September. Stop tripping.”

And then there’s the pessimistic side of the fanbase. Not everyone is sold on the idea that Gane vs. Pavlovich is an exciting matchup. One doubtful fan wrote, “No. This will go to decision unless Pavlovich gets a KO. And that would be fine if this was the opening fight on a stacked main card, but it will be a main event on top of a trash mountain of no Wikipedia DWCS mofos and at least three WMMA fights. I ain’t watching that.”

On the other hand, some fans just want the UFC to quit playing games and make it happen. “It makes sense. @UFC, book it, please.”  Or, if you prefer the minimalist approach, “That would be a good one.”

So, the division is at a standstill, and fans are getting restless. While we wait for the champ saga to reach its inevitable conclusion, this could be exactly what the division needs to keep things moving. If only Dana White could press fast-forward on these contracts. What do you think? Will the UFC actually make it happen? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!