Ciryl Gane has indicated that the eye poke incident involving Tom Aspinall at UFC 321 has not led to any changes in his fighting approach. During their heavyweight title bout, Gane unintentionally poked Aspinall in both eyes, leading to a no-contest and Aspinall retaining his title due to compromised vision.
The incident had significant repercussions, requiring Aspinall to undergo double eye surgery and still be medically cleared for sparring. Gane is now preparing to face Alex Pereira for the interim heavyweight championship on June 14.
Gane Defends His Actions, Cites MMA’s Nature
In a recent interview with New York Post Sports, Gane was questioned about whether he had adjusted his technique to prevent future eye pokes, particularly regarding keeping his fingers closed during striking exchanges.
Gane reiterated that the poke against Aspinall was unintentional, explaining that he was “pushing” his opponent’s face as Aspinall attempted to find an opening. He further commented that such incidents are a common occurrence in mixed martial arts and are simply 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.”
Gane’s perspective suggests a belief that the nature of the sport inherently carries the risk of such accidental fouls, and he does not see a need to alter his fundamental fighting style.