Alex Pereira weighs in on Tom Aspinall calling Cyril Gane a ‘cheater’

Alex Pereira has stepped into the debate surrounding his next opponent Ciryl Gane.

The heavyweight division has been on edge since Tom Aspinall accused Gane of being a “cheater” following their clash at UFC 321, where an eye poke incident became the central controversy.

Aspinall had to withdraw in the first round due to a double eye poke and the fight was ruled a no contest.

With ‘Poatan’ now confirmed to face Gane on the upcoming White House card, he was asked about what he thinks about the Frenchman.

Alex Pereira reacts to Ciryl Gane controversy

Speaking on The Ariel Helwani Show, Pereira made it clear he is not rushing to judge Gane based on a single fight.

“Actually, I didn’t follow [Gane] very closely. I only saw that fight [against Aspinall], I didn’t see anything else he did.

“I managed to watch this one now because it caught my attention, it’s the weight class I wanted to fight in. So, I don’t know if he’s really like that,” he replied when questioned about Aspinall labelling Gane a ‘cheater’.

While he did not condemn the Frenchman, he mentioned that the UFC and the referees should closely pay attention to his behaviour in their upcoming fight.

Alex Pereira embraces underdog role again

‘Poatan’ was also asked about being considered the underdog against Gane, something that is not new in his career.

“I think it’s good [to be the underdog]. It’s always been that way. People say, ‘Oh, he’s going to lose, it won’t amount to anything.’ And I’ve always proven them wrong,” he stated.

That mindset has defined Pereira’s rise through multiple divisions, from kickboxing dominance to UFC titles.

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