Ciryl Gane is turning the page on controversy and locking in on Alex Pereira as he prepares to fight for the interim heavyweight title at the UFC White House card on Sunday.
Gane will meet Pereira in the co-main event with an interim belt on the line, stepping into the spotlight while Tom Aspinall remains sidelined following their ill-fated clash this past October.
Their previous title fight was ruled a no-contest after an eye poke from Gane left Aspinall unable to see, leading to Aspinall accusing Gane of being a "cheater." Responding to that label, Gane said, "This is his opinion," and added, "We have a beautiful, professional referee. The referee told me nothing because I respect the rules. It’s just an opinion. Everybody [has] an opinion. It’s OK."
Gane admitted the no-contest initially hit him hard. "Straight after the fight in the cage, it was a mix of feelings," he said. "A little bit frustrated, a little bit angry, a little bit sad. Because thinking about all of the sacrifices I made. But after that, it was a good first round, injury free, healthy. The most important [thing] is that."
Aspinall has undergone multiple surgeries to repair the eye damage from the bout, while Gane has shifted his mindset toward Sunday’s interim title opportunity and hopes to rematch Aspinall in the future.
