Ciryl Gane rejects cheating criticism before UFC 334: 'I'm not here to try and convince anyone'

UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane says he will not waste energy answering the fouling accusations that have followed him for the past year. Speaking to RMC Sport Combat days before his first title defense against Josh Hokit in the UFC 334 main event at Madison Square Garden in New York on Saturday, November 14, the Frenchman called the criticism a "shame" and said he has nothing to prove to his detractors.

"I'm not here to try and convince anyone," Gane said, as translated by MMA Fighting. "I train hard. I control what I can control: my training, my fights, and so on. The rest, I try never to raise my voice or say anything out of line. I really try to respect all of my opponents from start to finish. And actually, by beating them, I'm respecting them."

Why Gane is under fire

The accusations go back to Gane vs Tom Aspinall at UFC 321 in October 2025, which ended in a no contest after eye pokes left Aspinall unable to continue. Aspinall later accused Gane of fouling on purpose. Gane then knocked out Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 in June 2026, a fight in which Pereira says he was hit with illegal strikes to the back of the head. With Aspinall's eye problems lingering, Gane was elevated to undisputed champion, which has left many fans questioning his status.

The criticism has kept coming during fight week build-up. Curtis Blaydes claimed in an Instagram video on November 6 that Gane gets special treatment from the UFC and gave him a 75 percent chance of poking Hokit in the eye in the first round, MMA Official reported. Former champions Dominick Cruz and T.J. Dillashaw defended Gane in October, with Cruz saying he does not see him as a cheater.

Gane suggested some of the backlash comes from people who cannot accept his easy-going image. "Maybe it's like, 'I won't leave it like this. I'm going to drag his name through the mud,'" he said. "Because honestly, when I look in the mirror or when you see the training at the gym, you don't see strategies like eye-gouging."

Not worried about Hokit's trash talk

Hokit, unbeaten at 10-0, has built his rise on wins over Blaydes and Derrick Lewis plus pro wrestling-style promos, and he has already mocked Gane's eye pokes by getting pepper sprayed in training. Gane says that act will not work on him.

"He does it to destabilize certain fighters who are susceptible to being destabilized. I don't think I am," Gane said. "I work a lot with my mental coach to make sure I'm not. And in reality, he also makes me laugh a little when he doesn't cross the line or insult too much."

Gane told RMC Sport he remembered Hokit as "very nice" in private when they shared a locker room at the White House card, but admitted he does not know which version will show up. "And then what do you want him to attack me on? The fact that I'm a cheater? When I look at myself in the mirror, I'm OK," he said.

According to The Sun, Gane also said Hokit could "insult my mom, but you don't know my mom", a line fans expect Hokit to seize on at the UFC 334 press conference.

UFC 334 at a glance

• Main event: Ciryl Gane vs Josh Hokit for the UFC heavyweight title
• Co-main event: Kayla Harrison vs Amanda Nunes
• Date and venue: Saturday, November 14, Madison Square Garden, New York

Gane is 14-2 with one no contest, and his only loss since 2022 came against Jon Jones at UFC 285 in March 2023.