UFC contender Ciryl Gane has explained the impact of his loss to Francis Ngannou back at UFC 270.
When it comes to the evolution of heavyweights in mixed martial arts, it’s hard to look past Ciryl Gane as a shining example of just how far the division has come. ‘Bon Gamin’ has the physique, the speed, the technical ability and the composure to go all the way at the elite level - and the scary part is that he’s only had 11 professional fights.
He flew into a 7-0 run when entering the UFC back in summer 2019 and after beating Derrick Lewis to capture the UFC interim heavyweight title, he set himself up for a blockbuster showdown against former training partner Francis Ngannou in January of this year.
After seemingly controlling the first two rounds on the feet, Gane was caught off-guard by ‘The Predator’ as the undisputed champ used his improved wrestling skills to neutralise the contender and eventually grind out the win.
As he prepares to get back into the cage this weekend, Gane used a recent interview with Kevin Iole to reflect on how the Ngannou defeat impacted him.
ALL THE INFO: UFC Paris: Date, Venue, Main Event and Everything You Need to Know
“When you win, you don’t have too much questions on your head. When you lose, this is different. What can I fix? This is not just oh, I lost my fight so I’m feeling really bad, no. I was really okay about it. This opened my eyes a little bit and I think I found a bigger motivation, and better motivation. This is what I’m looking for at the end of training every day. This adds a bit more experience on my mind, more maturity.”
UFC Paris awaits
For the first time, the Ultimate Fighting Championship will be heading to France on Saturday night as they put on a big card in Paris.
The main event of the evening will see Ciryl Gane fight in front of his hometown fans in a match-up against heavy hitter Tai Tuivasa. If he can win, and do so convincingly, he’ll be right back in the conversation for a title shot alongside the likes of Stipe Miocic, Jon Jones and Curtis Blaydes.