Ciryl Gane appears unfazed by the 'cheater' allegations repeatedly made by Tom Aspinall following their controversial clash in October. The Frenchman is set to return to action this weekend for the first time since his fight with the heavyweight champion.
Gane Responds to Aspinall's Claims
The bout was waved off in the first round after Aspinall was poked in both eyes by Gane. In the months that followed, the Brit has undergone multiple surgeries on both eyes. Aspinall, 33, has since labelled his foe a 'cheater' for his tactics in Abu Dhabi and is adamant Gane's eye pokes were deliberate. The Paris native had the chance to respond to those remarks earlier this week ahead of his fight with two-division champion Alex Pereira at the White House.
“This is his opinion,” Gane said during UFC White House media day. “We have a beautiful, professional referee. The referee told me nothing because I respect the rules. It’s just an opinion. Everybody [has] an opinion. It’s OK.”
Gane's Focus on Pereira
Both Gane and Pereira will meet for the interim heavyweight title, with the winner expected to trade leather with Aspinall later this year. It is evident the 36-year-old is not bothered by Aspinall and is solely focused on the task at hand in Washington. Gane was slightly disappointed with the ending to the clash as he was aiming to strike undisputed gold for the first time in his career. However, it was not long before he was back in the gym and looking ahead to another fight.
“Straight after the fight in the cage, it was a mix of feelings,” Gane said. “A little bit frustrated, a little bit angry, a little bit sad. Because thinking about all of the sacrifices I made. But after that, it was a good first round, injury free, healthy. The most important [thing] is that.”
Gane on the Historic Card
While Gane believes his fight with Pereira has a bigger build-up, the Frenchman is adamant that both title fights are special to him. “I'm going to say more than Tom, but the fight with Tom was huge also because a lot of people were waiting for this fight, like a new breed, new generation of heavyweight,” he admitted. “It was a beautiful event also, but this one is going to be unique and just historic. I'm really happy, and also Pereira is a great champion.”
Gane concluded: “I've been there already. Now I'm a veteran. This is not my first time. I am not pressured by all of this now. I'm really comfortable with this situation, and this has helped me a lot. I'm really more focused on my opponent; that's the only thing I need.”
Dana White's Comments on Aspinall
The 36-year-old can count himself lucky he is competing on such a historic card after UFC supremo Dana White recently suggested that Aspinall would have fought Pereira at the White House this weekend if the champion was fit and ready to go. White told TNT Sports: “Oh, 100 per cent. That would’ve been the fight, if he was... You know, a lot of our champions are hurt right now, so it’s kind of a funky... There’s a lot of things you have to deal with when you’re making these matches. With timing and everything else going on in everybody’s lives, injuries. But yeah, it would’ve been Tom.”
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