Alex Pereira (left) fights Ciryl Gane during their interim heavyweight title bout at UFC Freedom 250 on the South Lawn of the White House, Monday. (AP-Yonhap) Fresh controversy has followed newly crowned UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane after he reclaimed the belt at UFC's "Freedom 250" event celebrating the 250th anniversary of the United States, with accusations of illegal strikes overshadowing an otherwise dominant victory.Despite reestablishing himself as the sport's top heavyweight, Ciryl Gane continues to face criticism over his conduct inside the cage.Gane defeated Alex Pereira via second-round TKO in the co-main event on June 15 at the White House, dropping Pereira with a jab before finishing the fight with a barrage of punches at the 1:27 mark. The loss ended Pereira's bid to become a UFC champion in a third weight class.Gane largely controlled the fight from start to finish, dominating the striking exchanges and forcing Pereira onto the defensive before ending the contest with ground-and-pound in Round 2.But controversy erupted immediately afterward as fans and observers accused Gane of landing multiple illegal elbow strikes to the back of Pereira's head during ground exchanges.MMA journalist Adam Catterall raised concerns on social media, questioning why officials ignored what he described as repeated illegal shots. Popular MMA content creator MMA Guru went further, branding Gane "a dirty cheater" and one of the most controversial fighters in UFC history.The criticism has intensified because Gane has faced similar accusations before. In last year's heavyweight title fight against Tom Aspinall, their bout ended in a no contest after Gane allegedly poked both of Aspinall's eyes.Aspinall later praised Gane's overall performance but also acknowledged concerns over possible fouls, saying the Frenchman looked sharp despite appearing to throw several illegal strikes.Aspinall also signaled he is open to a rematch, saying he would be ready if the fight is booked for September in Paris.With Ultimate Fighting Championship scheduled to hold an event at Accor Arena this September, speculation is growing that a Gane-Aspinall rematch could be next.(This article was produced with the assistance of AI. — Ed.)