Curtis Blaydes Accuses Ciryl Gane of Getting French Privilege on Fouls
Blaydes says Gane gets away with illegal strikes and eye pokes because of where he comes from.
Curtis Blaydes is not buying that Ciryl Gane's fouls are accidental, and he thinks the heavyweight champion is getting special treatment because of where he comes from.
Blaydes took to Instagram this week with a video calling out Gane's history of alleged illegal strikes and eye pokes. He said it is not that hard to follow the rules, per LowKick MMA. The clip targeted Gane's record of controversial moments in high-profile fights, including his bouts against Alex Pereira and Tom Aspinall.
When a fan asked Blaydes directly whether Gane gets away with the fouls because he is French, pointing out that Alexander Volkov "has to fight his life off" for opportunities while Gane gets "opportunity after opportunity without repercussion," Blaydes did not hesitate. His reply was one word: "100%."
Gane is set to make his first heavyweight title defense against Josh Hokit at UFC 334. Since his lone loss to Jon Jones at UFC 285 in March 2023, where Jones submitted him just over two minutes into the first round, Gane has gone 3-0 with one no-contest against Aspinall. His run to the title has been impressive, but the questions about his fighting habits have followed him every step.
Blaydes has reason to be frustrated. The 33-year-old has been a top-five heavyweight for years but has never held UFC gold. Watching a rival get title shots while drawing repeated criticism for questionable strikes would test anyone's patience.
Blaydes is not wrong to ask the question, even if the "French privilege" framing is a stretch. The real issue is consistency. If one fighter keeps getting flagged for back-of-the-head strikes and eye pokes across multiple fights, at some point the pattern stops looking accidental.
Gane is a brilliant athlete. The movement, the speed for a heavyweight, the technique. But there have been enough incidents now that the conversation is fair game. The Aspinall fight ended in a no-contest. The Pereira fight had its moments. Referees have a job to do, and fighters have a right to expect the rules apply equally.
Does it have anything to do with being French? Probably not. But does Gane seem to escape consequences that would haunt other fighters? Blaydes has a point, and he is not the only one thinking it.
