Ciryl Gane kept his reaction brief after Tom Aspinall vacated the UFC heavyweight title, posting training footage on Instagram with a short caption.
“Can’t wait…,” Gane wrote.
Aspinall relinquished the title after suffering another setback with his right eye while preparing to return to competition. The injury was originally sustained during his fight with Gane at UFC 321 last October, which ended in a no-contest following accidental eye pokes.
Aspinall said he had returned to sparring and agreed to a fight date before an accident caused further damage to the eye. He remains unable to receive medical clearance, with no firm timetable for his return.
With Aspinall stepping aside, Gane has been elevated from interim champion to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion after stopping Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 in June.
Pereira has pushed for an immediate rematch, while unbeaten contender Josh Hokit (10-0) has also made his case for a title shot following wins over Curtis Blaydes and Derrick Lewis.
The UFC has yet to officially announce Gane’s first defense as undisputed champion.