UFC heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall has said a number of the shots landed by Ciryl Gane in his victory over Brazil’s Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 looked “very illegal.”

Bon Gamin defeated Poatan via TKO by way of strikes in the second round of their co-main event for the interim heavyweight title, but the winner has been called out by many for his actions during the contest.

The fight took place in front of the White House at the UFC’s showpiece event that marked 250 years since the formation of the United States and also took place on the 80th birthday of President Donald Trump.

Tom Aspinall Calls Out Ciryl Gane For Cheating at UFC Freedom 250

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Aspinall said on his YouTube channel that some of the punches and elbows that Gane landed shortly before the end of the fight looked questionable as they appeared to land towards the back of the head.

“They look a bit illegal. They look very illegal,” England’s Aspinall said.

“It looked like there was a lot of illegal elbows going on and illegal punches,” he concluded.

However, veteran referee Herb Dean took no action over the strikes.

It’s not just Aspinall who has questioned Gane’s actions, though, as plenty of footage has circled around on social media highlighting the illegal blows the Frenchman was landing.

Home of Fight posted a 30-second clip and claimed to spot ELEVEN shots to the back of Pereira’s head, which can be seen below.

Gane has a controversial reputation for fouling in MMA, having made numerous infractions in his previous bouts. Gane famously poked the eyes of Aspinall in their title fight back at UFC 321, and also struck Jon Jones in the groin during their fight at UFC 285. Fans and MMA experts alike have also noted his tendency for fouls.

Aspinall did, however, say Gane generally looked good in the fight and that Pereira never really got going.

Tom Aspinall vs Ciryl Gane 2

In his post-fight interview in the Octagon, Gane called out Aspinall for a showdown for the undisputed UFC heavyweight title at the upcoming event in Paris at the Accor Arena in September.

Aspinall seemed to accept the challenge, saying: “Paris in September? I’ll do that. I don’t mind. I’ll go to Paris. Let me know. I’ll be there.”

Aspinall has not fought since UFC 321 on the 25th of October, when his title defence against Gane was stopped towards the end of the first round due to what was ruled an accidental eye poke by the Frenchman. The bout in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates was officially declared a no contest. Aspinall has since undergone numerous eye operations as he looks to recover and restart his career within the organisation.

The UFC, however, hasn’t made any comments regarding such a fight, and it is unclear whether they would schedule such a fight on foreign soil, especially given the stop-start nature of the heavyweight division over the past years.

Jon Jones was the division’s champion from March 2023 until he retired in June 2025, and he only defended the strap once in that time against Stipe Miocic.

The FBI have released a seriously shocking and concerning statement, exposing terror attack plans that were thwarted on Sunday night at the White House while UFC Freedom 250 was taking place.

While the UFC were hosting the special event to help celebrate America’s 250th birthday and President Donald Trump’s 80th birthday, a terror attack was planned involving ‘explosive drones’ and ‘staged snipers.’

Thankfully, all plans were thwarted and a serious tragedy was avoided, but a detailed plan was in place until the FBI stepped in and intervened.

Terror Plans at UFC Freedom 250 Revealed

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Federal officials revealed to Fox News Digital that the terror plot planned for ‘explosive-packed drones’ to hit buildings nearby to the UFC event, in the hope of triggering chaos and resulting in a likely mass evacuation, with thousands of people all scrambling to leave the area at once.

Authorities believe the goal was to force panicked and stampeding crowds into the direct path of a sniper team that had already been positioned nearby. It’s also believed that once that initial attack was complete, a second wave of attackers would then storm the White House gate.

It has been suggested that the FBIA first learned about the plot on the 10th of June, a few days before the planned event, and performed a search warrant in Cincinnati, where the first arrest was made. Some of the suspects, however, had already travelled to Fredericksburg, Virginia, on the 12th and 13th of June to make preparations for the attack.

After searching one of the suspect’s mobile phones, authorities found at least 23 users of encrypted chat app Signal involved in discussing all the details of what could’ve been a truly tragic terror attack. As of Monday, five people have been taken into custody linked to the planned attack.

A suspect later told investigators the aim of the attack was to target capitalist elites, billionaires, and politicians who received money from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC).

FBI Statement About Planned Attacks

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In the aftermath of the news breaking, FBI director Kash Patel released this following statement via his official X account.

“On June 10, FBI and our law enforcement partners became aware of a potential threat to the UFC America 250 event in Washington, D.C. involving individuals outside of the National Capital Region – and thanks to the rapid action of this FBI, our partners, and the Department of Justice in a multi-state operation, multiple individuals are now in custody and allegedly planned attacks were stopped cold.

“I want to thank our great agents and partners. This work remains ongoing, and we will continue to update the public as permitted.”

Tottenham Hotspur have been one of Europe’s most active clubs in the early weeks of the summer as Roberto De Zerbi looks to put his stamp on the squad he inherited.

The Italian arrived at Spurs at the end of March and guided the north London side to Premier League survival, overseeing a 1-0 win over Everton on the final day of the season.

Following back-to-back 17th place finishes in the Premier League, Tottenham fans will rightly be expecting much improved fortunes this season, especially without European football in the calendar.

The Lilywhites have already signed defenders Andy Robertson and Marcos Senesi on free transfers while Pedro Porro has committed his future to the club despite interest from Real Madrid, signing a new deal until 2031.

Meanwhile, Spurs have seen two bids for Brighton and Hove Albion centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke rejected and it had looked as though progress was being made regarding a deal for Manchester City winger Savinho but they may be forced to seek alternative options if an agreement can’t be reached.

Tottenham identify Frankfurt star as Savinho alternative

According to The Athletic’s deal sheet, Tottenham have been “in contact” with the representatives of Eintracht Frankfurt winger Jean-Matteo Bahoya who they have identified as a possible alternative to Savinho.

The 21-year-old produced four goals and four assists in 37 appearances last season for the German side and has a total of seven goals and eight assists in 78 games since joining from French second division side Angers in January 2024.

Described as ‘unbelievably fast’, Bahoya is known for his dribbling and pace, setting a Bundesliga record for the fastest speed ever recorded in a match when clocking 23.09mph in a match against Bochum in March 2025.

It is believed that the Bundesliga side value the France Under-21s winger at around £60m, with his deal at Frankfurt running until 2029.

Spurs need more exciting forwards

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With Xavi Simons expected to be sidelined for a significant period after suffering a ruptured ACL injury towards the end of last season, as well as Mohamed Kudus still being on the treatment table, Tottenham are very clearly short of flair players in attack.

Over half of their Premier League rivals scored more goals than their 48, with nearly a quarter netted by Richarlison alone.

De Zerbi needs reinforcements all over the pitch, but reestablishing an identity in the final third is certainly a priority as supporters look to get excited by their team once again.

Although his goal output perhaps isn’t the most encouraging, having just turned 21 there is plenty to like about Bahoya and it looks as though he will be one of Europe’s most in-demand players this summer.