Cruz and Dillashaw defend Ciryl Gane against cheater label after Aspinall eye-poke controversy

Former UFC champions Dominick Cruz and T.J. Dillashaw have come out in defence of Ciryl Gane, rejecting the growing narrative that the newly crowned undisputed heavyweight champion is a serial rule-breaker.

Gane’s rise to undisputed status has been mired in controversy. His UFC 321 clash with Tom Aspinall in October 2025 ended in a no-contest after Gane poked Aspinall in the eyes, an incident that sent the incumbent champion to surgery — multiple eye operations, in fact — and sidelined him indefinitely. With Aspinall unable to defend, Gane first defended his interim title against Alex Pereira at UFC White House before being elevated to undisputed champion in Aspinall’s absence.

Speaking on Cruz’s Love & War podcast, both men argued that the eye-poke criticism misplaces the blame. “I always say this — if you can poke me in my eye, I’m doing something wrong,” Cruz said. “Trying to hit my head is so hard. If you can poke me in the eye, that’s my problem. That’s why he’s not a cheater.”

Dillashaw agreed, suggesting the backlash has more to do with fan sentiment than genuine malice. “It’s gotten blown out of the water since the Pereira fight,” he said. “Obviously, everyone’s a Pereira fan and they wanted him to win. He wasn’t going for it on purpose, and Pereira’s moving his head as he’s hitting those. I don’t think he is a purposeful cheater at all.”

The Pereira fight added fresh fuel to the debate. Gane dropped Pereira with a clean punch but landed several illegal blows to the back of the head during the finishing sequence. Pereira has publicly blamed those shots for affecting the outcome and criticised referee Herb Dean for failing to intervene or issue a penalty. Dillashaw expressed sympathy for Dean, noting that the official has faced unusual levels of hostility from crowds as a result.

The defence carries a degree of irony given Dillashaw’s own history with the rulebook. He forfeited the UFC bantamweight title in 2019 and served a two-year suspension after testing positive for a banned substance — a background he appeared to acknowledge implicitly when framing his comments around perception versus intent.

Gane has not publicly responded to the latest round of criticism, but the debate over his fighting style shows little sign of fading while Aspinall remains on the sidelines and the circumstances of his injury stay fresh in the sport’s memory.