Last year, Ciryl Gane drew the MMA community’s ire after poking the reigning heavyweight champion, Tom Aspinall, in the eye twice at UFC 321, abruptly ending their title fight after one round. After almost getting his eyes gouged out, the Englishman required multiple surgeries to recover from Brown’s syndrome, which massively derailed his return to the Octagon. For this, even journalists like Ariel Helwani argued that Gane should have been disqualified. To ensure something similar does not happen again at their UFC Freedom 250 bout this Sunday, Alex Pereira has shared a warning with the Frenchman.

“I’m not worried about it at all,” Pereira said at UFC Freedom 250 media day. “I’m not concerned; I will just focus on the fight. But it has happened a couple of times. I understand what happened… he’s committed some irregularities, let’s say. I don’t know why it happens… but it’s not the first time it’s happened. So I think he needs to do something, I don’t know what. Maybe he needs to be more careful about it. People start talking and start seeing you in a different way.”

Alex Pereira not being concerned about Ciryl Gane committing potential fouls in their UFC White House showdown might come from his preparation for the fight. However, the two-division UFC champion rightly pointed out that the Frenchman’s tendency to land illegal strikes has become so frequent that it continues to affect his image negatively, and Gane’s history definitely supports Pereira’s point.

The former interim heavyweight champ first found himself in major controversy when he poked Alexander Volkov in the eye in the fifth round of their 2021 bout. Though ‘Bon Gamin’ won via unanimous decision, the referee warned Gane multiple times to keep his fingers closed, but failed to deduct a point. Following this, another notable instance was when he landed illegal strikes on Tai Tuivasa to the back of his head during their 2022 fight, drawing widespread criticism. Those shots prompted former UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos to sharply criticize Gane, labeling him a “dirty” fighter.

After that, Gane was again surrounded by controversy after opening the fight against Jon Jones with a kick to the groin at their UFC 285 main event. Though ‘Bones’ ultimately secured a first-round submission victory, the Frenchman committing yet another foul only added to the already mounting criticism. Then came the infamous eye poke on Tom Aspinall, which even Jon Jones was quick to criticize Gane for, calling out his dirty tactics.

For all those reasons, Pereira understandably feels that if Gane commits another foul against him, that “dirty” label might stick with him permanently. However, it’s not only Ciryl Gane who remains under the microscope.

Alongside him, Michael Chandler would also be drawing attention as he prepares to fight Mauricio Ruffy at the White House event. While there’s not an ounce of doubt that the lightweight is one of the most entertaining fighters in the UFC, his aggressive fighting style has often drawn criticism from opponents such as Dustin Poirier, who blasted Chandler for hooking his mouth during their bout.

While concerns around Ciryl Gane possibly committing another foul at UFC White House continue to grow, the 36-year-old has addressed the claims laid against him. 

Ciryl Gane rejects the tag of “dirty fighter” ahead of UFC White House bout

Tom Aspinall might not be attending the UFC White House card due to the promotion not sending an invite his way, which has been attributed to very restricted attendance. However, he has assured fans that he wouldn’t be missing the significant development set to unfold in his division on June 14. Still, while reflecting on his former opponent’s history of fouls, Aspinall labelled him a “cheater,” which apparently struck a nerve with Ciryl Gane.

Now, the Frenchman has addressed the criticism, insisting that the fouls were unintentional and nothing more than unfortunate incidents that happened during his fights.

“No, unfortunately, at every event, every week, something happens,” Gane said at media day. “Even if it’s in a bad way, let people talk about me. Whatever, I know that I’m not a cheater.”

Analyzing Gane’s fighting style, MMA great Demetrious Johnson once said that the former heavyweight interim champ’s Muay Thai stance contributes to the frequent eye pokes, as he often uses open palms to manage distance. While that may help explain the recurring eye pokes, the rabbit punches he landed on Tai Tuivasa or the groin shot against Jon Jones remain unexplained.

With only a couple of days left before the blockbuster fight at the White House, it will be interesting to see how Ciryl Gane approaches Alex Pereira and whether he can get through the contest without finding himself at the center of another controversy.