Nearly seven months after it happened, Ciryl Gane reflected on poking Tom Aspinall in the eye in the main event of UFC 321.
Gane poked Aspinall in the eye during their UFC heavyweight title bout last year at UFC 321, causing the fight to be stopped in the first round due to an eye poke. Aspinall has still not been cleared to return to the Octagon yet, though he is getting close. As for Gane, he returns next month when he takes on Alex Pereira for the interim UFC heavyweight title at UFC Freedom 250.
Ciryl Gane Reflects on Eye Poke
Speaking to the New York Post Sports in a recent interview ahead of UFC Freedom 250, Gane was asked about the eye poke and if he plans on changing his fighting style going forward so it doesn’t happen again. While the Frenchman was obviously disappointed that the fight with Aspinall ended the way it did, he admitted he has no plans on altering the way he fights going forward. In Gane’s view, it was an accident, and eye pokes are something that are just a part of the sport.
“No, unfortunately this happens at like every event. This is not something special. So, unfortunately, I landed my middle kick and when you land your middle kick, you land also the hands and he came in front of me and the first thing coming to me was his face. So I tried to push his face, my fingers just swiped down his eye. This is MMA,” Gane said (via Bloody Elbow).
When he was asked what he thought about Aspinall taking the No Contest and not continuing in the fight, Gane said that he was not the one to judge how the Englishman reacted to the foul.
“I said just after the fight, we are not in the eyes of Tom Aspinall so we can’t judge. Maybe he can’t see like he said so no, I’m not judging,” Gane said.
Gane Could Rematch Aspinall Later This Year
Gane could get a rematch with Aspinall later this year if his upcoming fight against Pereira at the White House goes in his favor. According to the latest betting odds, this fight is a true Pick ’em, with both fighters priced at -110 odds each. That makes it a very difficult fight to predict, and one that will determine who will fight Aspinall next to unify the heavyweight titles.
Based on what happened in the first Aspinall fight, look for the referee in Pereira vs. Gane to really be on their toes and watch for him sticking his fingers out. Should Gane stick his fingers out, look for the ref to warn him immediately not to do it. If he continues to do it, and especially if Gane pokes Pereira in the eye, don’t be surprised if there is a quick point deduction.
This Pereira vs. Gane interim title bout is a massive fight with huge implications in the UFC heavyweight division, and UFC Freedom 250 can’t come soon enough so we can finally get this division rolling again.
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