BUZZ Gane 'cheater' row: Cruz, Dillashaw defend him; corner cam shows Pereira coach yelling

Two former champions have given Ciryl Gane a public vote of confidence just as the heavyweight titleholder's tactics face fresh scrutiny. Dominick Cruz and T.J. Dillashaw argued on Cruz's Love & War podcast that Gane is not a cheater.

The criticism has two sources. Gane poked Tom Aspinall in the eyes in their UFC 321 title fight in October 2025, and the bout ended in a no-contest. Aspinall has since had multiple eye surgeries and is out for a prolonged period, which is why Gane was promoted from interim to undisputed champion. That decision drew controversy.

The second is Gane's defense of the interim title against Alex Pereira at UFC White House. Gane rocked Pereira with a clean punch, but landed several illegal blows to the back of the head in the finishing flurry. Pereira has said those shots affected the outcome and blames referee Herb Dean for not stepping in or penalizing them.

Cruz's case is about technique: he said he has rarely been poked or hit in the groin because fighters don't stand in front of opponents carelessly. In his view, if you get poked in the eye, you are doing something wrong. Dillashaw, who forfeited the bantamweight title in 2019 and served a two-year suspension after a positive test for a banned substance, said the backlash is more about perception. He said Pereira was moving his head and that Gane was not going for the blows on purpose. He added that he feels bad for Dean, who gets booed at events.

Gane, 36, is a France-born heavyweight with a record of 14-2 in our database, built on seven knockouts, three submissions and four decisions. His next test is already booked: Josh Hokit at UFC 334 on Nov. 14, his first defense as undisputed champion. Whether the referee and the judges of his conduct are tested again will be the thing to watch.