Ciryl Gane is just days away from his first heavyweight title defense, with Josh Hokit set to challenge him in the main event of UFC 334. The fight came together after Tom Aspinall was forced to vacate the championship following further complications with his right eye, which suffered another setback during his recovery.
However, Gane’s rise to the top has not been without controversy. The Frenchman left Aspinall with a serious eye injury at UFC 321, potentially sidelining the Englishman for years. Aspinall has been out of action since October 2025, with no confirmed return date after his condition reportedly worsened earlier this year.
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Yet Gane faced no real consequences and continued his run toward the heavyweight crown. He subsequently got the opportunity to welcome Alex Pereira to heavyweight at UFC Freedom 250. Gane won the interim title, but the victory was overshadowed by 11 illegal blows to the back of Pereira’s head, sparking another major controversy.
As a result, many fans have questioned the legitimacy of his heavyweight title reign. However, former two-time heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic doesn’t share that view. The man widely regarded as the heavyweight GOAT believes Gane deserves his championship status and insists that the controversial eye pokes were not intentional.
In a recent interview with Casino.org, Miocic said, “I believe he deserves to be champion. He was next up. He fought Tom and then was supposed to fight him again, but then Tom’s injury happened. But I absolutely think so. He was in line, and he was ranked highest. I believe he 100 percent deserves it.”
Addressing the eye-poke controversy, Miocic added, “In regard to the eye poke, why would he do that in the fight? I think he was just doing what he was supposed to do, and I think it was an accidental poke. Gane was in the driver’s seat and didn’t need to do anything reckless.”
He concluded, “He’s been performing at the top, and he’s 100 percent next up to be the man. I believe he deserves it and he’s a tough dude.”
While Miocic sees no reason to question Gane’s legitimacy, plenty of fans are likely to disagree. The Aspinall and Pereira fights aren’t the only occasions when the Frenchman has found himself under scrutiny for questionable actions inside the Octagon.
Jon Jones previously accused Gane of being a dirty fighter after the Frenchman landed a blow to the back of Tai Tuivasa’s head at UFC Paris in 2022. Gane also landed a low blow on Jones during the opening seconds of their UFC 285 showdown. Even his earlier barrage of punches to the back of Junior dos Santos‘ head remains fresh in the memory of MMA fans.
With Gane preparing to defend his heavyweight gold against Hokit at UFC 334, Miocic’s endorsement is unlikely to settle the debate surrounding the Frenchman’s controversial rise to the top.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
