In contact sports, the heavy divisions are the ones that generate the most expectation for a simple reason, his hitting power. However, when fights between fighters of such size become longer, they lose explosiveness and cardio. This results in slow and boring crashes for the public. In mixed martial arts (MMA) this is one of its main problems, since, in most cases, both fighters stand to exchange, and if one does not fall quickly, the duel becomes a constant ‘clinch’ situations (hug that stops the fight).
But Ciryl Gane (12-2) is different. French represents the evolution of heavyweights in the UFC. In the top positions of the category, we have stopped seeing people with high body fat rates and they now have more athletic physiognomies. This allows for greater resistance and mobility. Gane boxes on the balls of his feet, as if he were heavy 70 kilos instead of the 113 he has. This gives him a big advantage in the division, in which he has only lost to the last two champions, Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones. Now it is his turn to face another ‘striker’ with whom he already fought, Alexander Volkov at UFC 310. On that occasion the Frenchman emerged victorious.
The Frenchman began his career in martial arts with Muay Thai, in which he achieved many achievements. His great physical condition and high level of vertical fighting allowed him to quickly adapt to MMA. In 2018 he made his professional debut, and with three victories in the Canadian promotion ‘TKO MMA’ he was signed by the UFC in 2019. After a single year as a professional and only three fights on his recordCiryl Gane was signed by the company run by Dana White, the MMA ‘Champions League’.
His success in the UFC was immediate, and in his debut he submitted Raphael Pessoa. From there he won five more victories before having the opportunity to challenge for the interim heavyweight belt. He won that title by finishing Derrick Lewis in the third round, in a fight where the evolution to which the largest categories aspire was appreciated. However, when unifying belts with the champion of that time, Francis Ngannouhe was overcome by the Cameroonian’s fight, losing his undefeated record.
He would recover with another victory against Tai Tuivasa, and that once again gave him the chance to fight for gold again. This time the title was vacant due to the departure of Ngannou, and his rival was the best of all time Jon Jones. The American left him no choice, and in less than two minutes He knocked down and submitted Gane. The Frenchman’s weak point was evident, it was the fight. Although his striking skills are among the best in the division, this defect has prevented him from succeeding in the UFC.
Now, Gane is coming off finishing Serghei Spivac, and Alexander Volkov is coming off another prospect, Sergei Pavlovich. Although both usually occupy the vertical room, they have different styles. Volkov uses his two-meter height to maintain distance with jabs, while the Frenchman shows off his mobility to get in and out of his opponents’ distance while punching. The previous clash that both had was very disputed, but Gane won. In this second part anyone can win, and at the expense of what happens with Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall, UFC 310 will see the birth of a possible contender in the heaviest division.
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