Ciryl Gane finished Alex Pereira in the second round to claim interim heavyweight gold at UFC Freedom 250, but the Frenchman’s latest win has been overshadowed by controversy over repeated back-of-the-head strikes that landed after he dropped the Brazilian champion.
Pereira blasted Gane and referee Herb Dean following the June 14 bout at the White House, according to MMA Fighting, which assembled a roundtable to debate whether Gane now holds the sport’s dirtiest reputation. The finish came less than a year after Gane’s eyepokes rendered then-champion Tom Aspinall unable to continue at UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi, leaving the Brit sidelined to this day.
Gane’s foul pattern stretches back years
While some argued Gane sits among frequent offenders like Michael Chandler — who has drawn accusations from Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje over tactics including eyepokes — others pointed to a compiled video showing Gane drawing referee warnings for low blows, eyepokes, or illegal head strikes in nearly every UFC appearance. “These are high-level professional athletes, and it’s not that hard to not commit fouls,” MMA Fighting’s Jed Meshew wrote. “Many fighters don’t do it over their entire career. But Gane cannot help himself.”
Junior dos Santos previously filed an appeal seeking to overturn his loss to Gane over similar back-of-the-head complaints before the stoppage. The counterargument centered on historical cases that dwarf Gane’s infractions: Rousimar Palhares held submissions long after the tap against Tomasz Drwal and Mike Pierce, earning suspensions and eventual dismissal from multiple promotions, while Igor Severino bit his opponent hard enough to leave teeth marks and lost his UFC contract on the spot.
Gane is expected to face Aspinall next, provided the champion’s eye has healed enough to return.
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