Dominick Cruz says Ciryl Gane is not a cheater and puts eye pokes on the fighter who gets hit

Gane's last two opponents, Tom Aspinall and Alex Pereira, have both said he cheated against them. He defends the UFC heavyweight title against Josh Hokit at UFC 334 on 14 November.

Dominick Cruz has defended Ciryl Gane over his eye pokes, saying a fighter who can be poked in the eye is the one doing something wrong.

"This is my take on Ciryl Gane poking eyes," Cruz said on his Love & War podcast. "I always said, if you can poke me in my f*** eye, I'm doing something wrong. Like trying to hit my head is so f*** hard, if you could poke me in the eye, that's my problem."

He said he and TJ Dillashaw see it the same way: "So, we agree on that and I think that's why he's not a cheater."

Cruz said he was rarely poked in the eye in his own career because his style was built on constant movement and footwork, so he did not stand right in front of his opponents.

Gane poked Tom Aspinall in the eye in their UFC heavyweight title fight more than a year ago and later said he had been trying to push Aspinall's face. Aspinall has not fought since because of the injuries he suffered in that fight. Gane then stopped Alex Pereira at UFC White House in June, and Pereira has since blamed referee Herb Dean for letting Gane land strikes to the back of his head.

Cruz said he does not feel bad for Dean, who is now booed at UFC events. "I don't feel bad for Herb Dean at all because we get booed all the time and everyone's getting their a** kicked," he said. "At least share the wealth. If you're gonna be in the Octagon with us, you get to feel the s*** too."

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