The Ciryl Gane coach did not take too friendly for some of the recent comments from UFC Heavyweight Champion Tom Aspinall.
The heavyweight division finally applies this year after a long saga with a champion that was reluctant to face his interim opposite in Jon Jones.
After Dana White had announced the controversial retirement of Jones in June, Aspinall was raised to undisputed status and he quickly prepared his first defense for UFC 321 in Abu Dhabi on 25 October.
The Englishman will have a long-awaited confrontation with Gane, a fellow interim champion. It will probably not have the same attention or hostility that one would have had a unified fight with 'bones', but there are some voltage points between the two camps.
Coach Fernand Lopez has no problem with Tom Aspinall's claims
After his return was confirmed, Aspinall accused him of diving him no less than four times in the past. That was an ultrasound of the sentiment that many had shared with regard to the failed matchup of Jones with the resident of Manchester.
That claim has destroyed Gane's old coach, Fernand Lopez. The founder of the MMA Factory, who also trained the will of Francis Ngannou and Nassourdine Imavov, affected during a recent appearance on the Ariel Helwani show.
“The part of whining where he is talking about people who avoid him – do you really think in this division when you get to the top 10, and when you get to the third, the second, the champion, do you really think people make the choices led by fear?” Said Lopez (h/t not crowned).
“It's a bit annoying, nagging around and saying … Ciryl he dived and this and that,” Lopez continued. “Everyone popped up, he walks around as if we are a duck. It's a bit annoying because in general, the few times we met Tom, the family, everything was so respectful and flexible.”
Lopez continued and referred to the frustration of Aspinall when his presence on UFC Paris in 2023 did not led to a face-off or callout of the Frenchman.
Since then the champion has heard “whining”, the coach of Gane understands Jones's position on rejecting Aspinall.
“He decided to fly to Paris and challenge Ciryl,” said Lopez. 'I am there, and then nobody at the UFC asked us or we want Tom to come into the cage. Nobody. Everything was flexible. Dan heb je iemand Cageide, die tegen je zegt:' Wel, ik wil tegen je vechten. Can you call me? 'Why would (Gane) do that?
“I don't know if it is frustration or what he does, but I find that very annoying. I can understand what Jon Jones says. That sounds annoying to come back and try to tease people. The fight happens, so let's just come down and have this fight,” he concluded.
Joe Rogan would have chosen another challenger for Tom Aspinall
The decision to give Gane a different title shot has divided the opinion, and a prominent UFC personality thinks that the Frenchman was the wrong choice for the first undisputed defense of Aspinall.
Joe Rogan would not have booked Aspinall against Gane, something he outlined during a recent episode of his JRE MMA show next to Khalil Rountree Jr.
Instead, the experienced color commentator would have searched to cash in on the recent Knock -out victory of Derrick Lewis on Tallison Teixeira at UFC Nashville.
“If I walked things, I would have set up the Derrick Lewis fight with Aspinall,” said Rogan. “I could say that Ciryl Gane is forgotten for the time being. Derrick has just had this big knockout victory, who is more popular than Derrick? Who is more loved by fans than Derrick? Put it up.”