Dark clouds loomed over Tom Aspinall’s future in the UFC after recent rumors of him leaving the promotion spread like wildfire. The rumor directly came from his boxing coach, Stipe Drvis’s livestream on Instagram, making his potential exit from the UFC all the more believable. Since then, fans have been anxiously waiting for the heavyweight champion to address the issue, and he has finally broken his silence.

In a recently issued statement on social media, Aspinall made it clear that he’s not leaving the UFC. In fact, the UFC heavyweight champion clarified that he’s in communication with the company daily, signaling that everything is all right between him and the promotion.

“I’m not leaving the UFC,” Aspinall’s statement read. “I’ve never said I have in any interview, and any words that have been taken from others today are simply not true. We are talking with the UFC daily, and they will update you guys always.”

Fortunately, Tom Aspinall isn’t going anywhere. But it won’t be a stretch to say that many believed the Englishman was close to having a fallout with Dana White’s promotion, especially considering how his relationship with the company has unfolded since becoming champion.

The heavyweight champion was visibly upset after Dana White dismissed his championship spirit after Ciryl Gane poked him in the eye at UFC 321, saying Aspinall “didn’t want to continue.” After the eye-poke rendered him unable to continue, leading to him needing surgeries, the UFC CEO also remained contemptuous of Aspinall’s eye condition. Because of that, Aspinall admitted that he was “disappointed” by White’s remarks and also stated that he doesn’t have a “relationship” with the UFC CEO.

Then came White’s adversary, Eddie Hearn, who signed Aspinall to his newly-launched Matchroom Talent Agency, a move that seemingly widened the cracks in their already deteriorating relationship. But that’s not all.

Ahead of the UFC White House card, former UFC fighter Josh Thomson spread a rumor that the UFC was pressuring Aspinall to vacate his belt so Alex Pereira and Ciryl Gane could fight for the heavyweight title on June 14. ‘The Punk’ also stated in a video that the Englishman demanded to be released from his contract so he could move into boxing, something his father, Andy Aspinall, had wanted for a long time.

For a moment, it looked like the UFC was going to witness another high-profile heavyweight champion exit the promotion after Francis Ngannou. However, Uncrowned reporter Petesy Carroll, who is very close to Aspinall, debunked Thomson’s statement, saying that the UFC hadn’t asked the champion to vacate his title. In that case, it’s not the first time such a rumor has been spread about Tom Aspinall, as Thomson had done it before.

By addressing the rumors of leaving the UFC, the 33-year-old suggested that the promotion will share an update soon. And since he’s not actually exiting, that means a fight announcement could be on the way. Tom Aspinall has already accepted, and it could happen soon at a marquee event whose main event the UFC hasn’t announced so far.

Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane rematch could happen at UFC 332

On October 3, the UFC will return to Salt Lake City, Utah, with its marquee UFC 332 numbered event. So far, the promotion has announced some exciting fights for the card, including former lightweight champion Rafael dos Anjos’ return following a two-year injury hiatus. However, Dana White and company are yet to lift the curtain on the headliner, which remains unannounced.

There are many contenders for the event. Kayla Harrison vs. Amanda Nunes for the bantamweight championship could headline the card. Valentina Shevchenko’s flyweight title defense, possibly against Natalia Silva, could also entice fans. However, Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane’s anticipated rematch appears to be the most likely option for Utah, based on the date the two previously agreed upon.

Right after Gane defeated Pereira at UFC White House to become a two-time interim heavyweight champion, he called out Tom Aspinall for a unification clash in September in Paris. The Englishman, who was watching the fight from his home, agreed to the matchup without any hesitation.

“Paris in September, eh? I’ll do that,” Aspinall said on his YouTube video. “You’re up for it? I’ll do that. Let me know. I don’t mind. I’ll go to Paris. I’ll be there.”

Despite both fighters verbally agreeing to fight in Paris, the UFC recently announced that Dan Hooker would face Salahdine Parnasse at its Paris event, scheduled for September 5 at Accor Arena, and the promotion doesn’t have any other event scheduled for the French capital this year.  Based on that, Gane vs. Aspinall could very well take place in Utah, especially with the heavyweight champion getting back to training in June.

That said, since Tom Aspinall has cleared the air around his rumored exit from the UFC, the possibility of his title defense against Ciryl Gane has become more realistic than ever.