Arena: UFC’s Next Star Ciryl Gane
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There is a new face on the rise in the world of combat sports, and his name is Ciryl Gane. Gane is different from some of his MMA counterparts for a number of reasons. He doesn’t have a larger-than-life personality like Connor McGregor; instead, he’s quiet and mild-mannered. He’s not a brawler that looks for the knockout early in the fight; he’s patient and wears his opponents down with a unique fighting style. Before he entered the UFC octagon, he already held two belts. His rise to fame has been as quick as anybody else in all of the sports, but how did he get there?
Gane was born in La Roche-sur-Yon, France and before he was an MMA fighter, he sold furniture at a luxury retailer. Gane didn’t practice fighting until he was introduced to Muay Thai by an old classmate later in life. He would eventually fall in love with combat sports, and in a few years, he would become one of its youngest stars.
Gane is a massive human being, and that’s truly saying something when his opponents are some of the biggest athletes in the world. Gane’s physique at 6’4” and 247 pounds is reminiscent of the gods from Greek mythology. He towers over the average person and is as solid as a boulder. For most heavyweights, there is a trade-off that comes with their bodies. While their size adds to their power and knockout ability it comes with the price of lowered mobility. Gane is unique in that he doesn’t move like your typical heavyweight, he moves more like his light heavyweight peers at 185 pounds. This speed advantage gives Gane an edge over his slower competitors that have to account for quick and powerful strikes.
The French native is an unusual heavyweight with speed but that’s not the only thing that makes him stand out from a crop of very talented fighters. Gane is also a bladed southpaw. A southpaw fighter already has an advantage when facing an orthodox opponent being that they’re able to throw strikes at odd angles. A southpaw in a bladed stance creates more problems for their opponents because they’re able to better protect themselves. Bladed lefties are rare fighters that can be very difficult to face. Gane is one of those rare individuals and combines it with a unique fighting style. Gane is a striker that switches his stance. Switching stances is common among quality fighters, but what separates Gane from the rest is that he constantly changes his position. One moment he’ll deliver a combo as a southpaw then close the gap while pivoting into an orthodox stance. On top of that Gane is just as skilled with his right side forward as he is with his left. Another aspect of Gane as a fighter is that he’s a tactician. He is a very accurate striker and takes his time looking for windows to open up to land hits. The constant movement, speed, and fighting method of Gane make him a nightmare to match up against.
Gane made his Muay Thai debut in 2014. He started off his professional career with six wins before competing for a title. In 2016, Gane faced Jeremy Jeanne for the AMFT heavyweight championship where he won the title via TKO in the second round. He would defend his title against former multi-time WBC Muay Thai champion, Yassine Boughanem, the following year and walk away victorious. In 2018 Gane made the transition to mixed martial arts after catching the attention of talent spotter Fernand Lopez. Lopez is the head of MMA Factory in Paris where they have developed high-level fighters like heavyweight great Francis Ngnannou. After a few months of training under Lopez, Gane made his professional MMA debut with TKO, the Canadian mixed martial arts promotion. His first match was against Bobby Sullivan for the vacant heavyweight belt. In his second title bout, Gane won via first-round submission. After a 3-0 start to his MMA career, Gane was offered a contract with the UFC.
For an MMA fighter, a contract offer from Dana White is the sign that you have made it onto the premier scene of combat sports. As Gane puts it, “UFC is the place to be if you are an MMA fighter. It’s the Champions League of MMA.” Gane debuted in the UFC in August of 2019. Just like he did in France as a Muay Thai fighter and in Canada defending his belt as a young MMA pro, Gane has dominated his opposition in the UFC.
Gane quickly climbed up the ranks of the heavyweight division winning fights with submissions, knockouts, and on the scorecard. He was victorious in four straight matches including a TKO win against former champion Junior Dos Santos. By his fifth fight, Gane headlined UFC Fight Night and won by unanimous decision against the #4 Contender, Jairzinho Rozenstruik. In the following contest, Gane faced Alexander Volkov, another excellent striker, and held his own on the way to another unanimous decision victory.
Ciryl Gane had become a star just three years after making his professional debut. Gane’s stretch of UFC wins cemented himself as the #3 contender. At this point, fight fans knew who he was. He had impressive fights with high-level opponents and won in multiple ways. Early in Gane’s MMA career, Fernand Lopez says, “For a heavyweight, he's incredible. He is an innate athlete. I do not see what would prevent him from being champion of the UFC.” Gane would get his eventual title shot in 2021.
UFC 265 was one of the biggest fights of Ciryl Gane’s MMA career. The thunderous crowd in Houston, Texas booed him as he was introduced by Bruce Buffer. Despite the noise, he looked poise as he paced back and forth. Gane entered the night as one of UFC’s rising stars with a nine-fight winning streak. This was his tenth professional match and he would be facing the #2 contender in the division, Derrick Lewis, for the UFC Interim Heavyweight Championship. All eyes were on Lewis as he was pegged as the favorite stepping into the octagon and was fighting in his hometown. Gane was the underdog in a foreign country with thousands chanting, “USA” every chance they got. Some thought that the hype surrounding Gane would come to an end that night. They were wrong.
From the opening moments of the match, Gane was a predator stalking his prey. He was calm and fired multiple leg kicks to weaken Lewis from a distance. His punches were calculated, never erratic. He moved swiftly in and out of range to keep his opponent guessing. Lewis never had an opportunity to land a significant strike, not even a clean one. Gane was in complete control the entire fight. Finally, the third round came. Gane was able to tag Lewis with a left jab, followed it with a powerful uppercut, and then a sweeping left hook. Still, on his feet, Lewis was forced to bend over and cover-up as Gane unleashed massive blows to the head. The Houston hometown hero offered some resistance but it wasn’t enough. A standing exchange occurred between the two men before Lewis collapsed to the mat. He tried to protect his head as much as he could from the barrage of punches thrown by Gane. Lewis was helpless. Eventually referee Dan Miragliotta called off the fight via TKO. The Frenchman, known as Bon Gamin, who previously won two heavyweight titles could now add a UFC championship belt to his resume.
Ciryl Gane made it to the top of the UFC mountain in a short amount of time. Had it not been for scheduling issues caused by COVID-19, Gane’s rise to fame could’ve been quicker. Now, as the Interim Heavyweight Champion, there was one opponent left for Gane to face before he reaches the peak: Francis Ngannou, the Heavyweight Champion. Ngannou isn’t a new adversary to Gane. At one point, both men were sparring partners at MMA Factory. Before Fernand Lopez mentored Gane, he took Ngnannou under his wing. Their duel was set for January 22nd at UFC 270 to determine who would be the undisputed heavyweight champ of the world.
There had been much anticipation for the fight, two giants and former training partners fighting for the heavyweight throne. According to UFC broadcaster Joe Rogan, whoever holds the heavyweight belt is, “the baddest man in all of combat sports.” Gane entered the octagon with the same poise as he always did. He was collected like he was in every other fight he had fought in. Gane envisioned his victory by knockout, ending all debate if he was truly the best heavyweight fighter in the world. Things, unfortunately, didn’t go to plan.
Through the first two rounds, it was an even fight between Gane and Ngannou with neither gaining an advantage over the other. Both men landed solid strikes and defended well in the clinch. Everything changed in the third round. Ngannou was able to takedown Gane multiple times and dominate from the ground. While on his back Gane looked like a totally different fighter. The high-level striker that picked his opponents apart and had three submission finishes in his professional career wasn’t there. Gane looked helpless. Ngnannou continued to use his wrestling to control Gane in the fourth round, whenever they stood up Ngnannou was patient and looked for another opportunity for a takedown.
The final round came and it was more of the same, Ngannou excelled on the ground and Gane had no answers to stop him. There was a brief moment of hope for a submission finish by Gane when he was able to lock Ngannou’s leg but he wasn’t able to secure it. The match went the distance and the results were now in the hands of the judges. After five rounds, Ngannou claimed the title as the undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the world via decision.
The night ended on a sour note for Gane. He lost his first match in his impressive MMA career. Despite the loss, Gane is still considered one of UFC’s brightest stars. His skillset and athleticism are a rarity that only top-tier fighters can compete with. Ciryl Gane’s glow will not fade and his reign as a top contender will continue for years to come.
