Ciryl Gane says Tom Aspinall is “a little fragile mentally” and did not need to make the eye pokes that ended their UFC 321 fight into such a drawn-out saga, dismissing his rival’s much-criticized reaction to the incident in a new interview with streamer Zack Nani, first reported by RMC Sport.
The comments come days after Gane was elevated to undisputed UFC heavyweight champion when Aspinall vacated the title over lingering eye damage. The newly crowned champion used the sit-down to revisit the no contest that has defined both men’s past year, and he was not diplomatic about it.
“We knew he was a little fragile mentally,” Gane said, according to RMC Sport. “We had guessed it, with my coach. The way he celebrates after fights, his body language, his communication. We suspected he was a bit fragile. Fragile is a strong word, but in the end, it showed.”
Gane continued: “Everything that happened after our fight confirms that the guy complains a bit too much. Hey brother, you got a finger in the eye, you have the right to stop. That’s your right. Nobody knows how you perceive pain. You didn’t need to do everything you did in terms of communication, because it hurt you in the end.”
The UFC 321 main event in Abu Dhabi was stopped 4 minutes, 35 seconds into the first round after Gane’s open hand caught Aspinall in both eyes, ruling the fight a no contest. Aspinall required multiple surgeries and vacated the heavyweight title last week after re-injuring the eye in training for a planned rematch.
Gane also downplayed the poke itself as a routine hazard of the sport rather than something worth relitigating. “We don’t even talk about it, it happens all the time,” he said. “I’m not saying that to bury the story. It happens every weekend. It’s nothing unusual. That’s our sport, that’s how it is.”
Gane Turns To Josh Hokit
With Aspinall out of the picture for now, Gane’s first defense of the undisputed title comes against Josh Hokit at UFC 334 at Madison Square Garden, where Michael Bisping has already predicted how the matchup plays out.
Aspinall has not fought since UFC 321 and is not expected back before early 2027, leaving Gane free to build his case as the top heavyweight in the world without his old rival in the cage to answer him directly.
