Credit: Giuseppe CACACE/AFP/Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane insists his harsh comments about Tom Aspinall were taken out of context ahead of UFC 334.
Ciryl Gane was promoted to lineal UFC heavyweight champion after Tom Aspinall vacated the title to recover from his eye injuries. Gane and Aspinall’s fight at UFC 321 ended in a ‘no contest’ due to Gane accidentally poking Aspinall in both eyes, and Aspinall hasn’t fought since the October 2025 event.
Now, Gane will look to defend the UFC heavyweight title against Josh Hokit this Saturday at UFC 334. Depending on Aspinall’s timeframe for a return, a rematch with the UK superstar could be next for Gane with a win this weekend.
Ahead of UFC 334, Gane raised eyebrows with harsh criticism of how Aspinall handled the aftermath of their UFC 321 fight. Gane called Aspinall ‘mentally fragile’ in discussing his long hiatus from fighting.
Ciryl Gane insists Tom Aspinall comments were ‘out of context’
During his UFC 334 media day press conference, Gane was asked if he regretted calling Aspinall ‘fragile’ in response to his long absence from competition.
“It was out of context, the context was we were talking about Tom, and how we prepared the camp for him,” Gane said of Aspinall.
“The little thing we expected with him, when you were looking at his past fights, he was emotional. The good word was emotional, not fragile. He’s a really emotional guy – and the way he managed the [eye poke] after the fight, he managed it with a lot of emotion. Tried to prove to people that [he was hurt]…
“I was in a bad position, because people talked about me like a cheater. But I don’t need to prove anything to anyone.”
Aspinall has repeatedly labeled Gane a ‘cheater’ after their fight at UFC 321. As of this writing, Aspinall hasn’t announced when he plans to return to the Octagon.
What is your prediction for Ciryl Gane vs. Josh Hokit? Share your thoughts in the comments!
This article appeared first on BJPENN.COM
