Ciryl Gane Brushes Off Cheater Label Ahead of UFC 334 Title Defense
The heavyweight champion says he knows who he is as UFC 334 against Josh Hokit approaches at Madison Square Garden.
Ciryl Gane has heard the cheating accusations. He is not losing sleep over them.
The 36-year-old heavyweight champion makes his first full title defense Saturday at UFC 334 inside Madison Square Garden, facing undefeated contender Josh Hokit in the main event. But heading into the biggest fight weekend of the year, the conversation around Gane has been less about his skills and more about his conduct, per CBS Sports.
All six of Gane's UFC opponents since 2022 have publicly complained about illegal strikes, eye pokes or other fouls during their fights with the Frenchman, per CBS Sports. The label intensified after Gane won the interim heavyweight title by defeating Alex Pereira in June. Tom Aspinall had vacated the full title following a no contest with Gane caused by accidental eye pokes.
Dustin Poirier questioned whether Gane's recurring foul issues are intentional and called for better referee review tools, per CBS Sports. Gane's trainer Fernand Lopez pushed back, saying accidental fouls can happen to anyone in MMA.
Referee Herb Dean, who officiated the Pereira fight, defended the strikes as legal under the unified rules.
Gane himself dismissed the criticism at the UFC 334 press conference Thursday, telling reporters he knows who he is. His opponent is not sweating it either. Hokit said he would retaliate immediately if Gane fouls him Saturday night, per CBS Sports.
Gane enters at 14-2 with one no contest. Hokit is a perfect 10-0.
Six straight opponents complaining about fouls is not a coincidence. I want to be fair to Gane because some of this stuff lives in a gray area, and Herb Dean literally said the Pereira strikes were clean. But when every single guy you fight says you crossed the line, maybe the line is not where you think it is.
Here is what I will say: Gane is genuinely talented. His footwork and movement at heavyweight are special. He does not need the extra stuff to win fights. The problem is perception, and perception is winning right now.
Hokit does not care about any of this. That kid is 10-0 and built like a tank out of Clovis, California. If Gane catches him with anything sketchy, Hokit is the type to fire back first and file the complaint later. That attitude might be exactly what this fight needs.
