Ciryl Gane has not altered his approach following the controversial eye poke incident involving Tom Aspinall. During their heavyweight title bout at UFC 321 last year, Aspinall’s first title defense ended in a no-contest. Gane accidentally struck Aspinall in both eyes, severely impairing his vision and preventing him from continuing the fight. Consequently, Aspinall retained his championship.
The aftermath of the fight saw Aspinall require double eye surgery, and he has reportedly not yet been medically cleared for sparring. Meanwhile, Gane is set to face Alex Pereira on June 14 for the interim heavyweight championship.
Gane Insists Eye Poke Was Unintentional, Sees It as Part of MMA
In a recent interview with New York Post Sports, Gane was questioned about whether he had worked on keeping his fingers closed during fights to prevent future eye pokes, thus sparing opponents a similar fate to Aspinall. Gane reiterated that the poke was unintentional, explaining that he was “pushing” Aspinall’s face as the latter attempted to create an opening. Gane further commented that such incidents are common in MMA and are simply an inherent part of the sport.
“No [I have not worked on keeping my fingers closed to avoid eye pokes]. Unfortunately, this has happened at almost every event. This isn’t something special. This is MMA.”
Here are Ciryl Gane’s remarks on the matter:
Ciryl Gane Unapologetic Over Eye Poke
Ciryl Gane has not learned any lessons from the Tom Aspinall fight. Last year at UFC 321, Aspinall faced Gane in the first defense of his undisputed heavyweight title. However, the bout ended as a no-contest, and the Brit retained the strap after “Bon Gamin” double-eye-poked him, after which the champion was unable to continue fighting due to compromised vision.
After the bout, in the months to come, Aspinall had to undergo double eye surgery, and even to date, he hasn’t been cleared for sparring. Gane, meanwhile, will lock horns with Alex Pereira on June 14, where the interim 265-pound championship will be up for grabs.
Ciryl Gane Says He Hasn’t Changed Anything After Eye Poke Against Tom Aspinall at UFC 321
During an interview with New York Post Sports, Ciryl Gane was asked if he’s worked on keeping his fingers closed during a fight while trading so that none of his future opponents share the same fate as Tom Aspinall. However, Gane once again insisted that the eye poke on Aspinall was completely unintentional.
He explained that he was ‘pushing’ the Brit’s face while the latter was trying to find an opening. Gane also added that incidents like this happen at almost every event and are just part of MMA.
“No [I have not worked on keeping my fingers closed to avoid eye pokes]. Unfortunately, this has happened at almost every event. This isn’t something special. This is MMA.”
Check out Ciryl Gane’s comments below:
