A new interim UFC Heavyweight Champion has been crowned as Ciryl Gane vs. Derrick Lewis is in the books.
In the main event of UFC 265, Gane and Lewis did battle for the interim UFC Heavyweight Title. The action took place inside the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. Lewis was the hometown favorite going into the fight but Gane didn’t allow the fans to leave the arena with joy.
It was clear from the start that Gane’s plan was to work Lewis from the outside and chop him down with leg kicks. Gane was patient throughout the fight and avoided “The Black Beast’s” punching power. The leg kicks were having an impact on the movement of Lewis and it was clear he was down 0-2 after two rounds of action.
In the third round, Gane sensed that he had Lewis hurt due to the leg kicks, so he took advantage with punches. Lewis fired off punches of his own but he found air and eventually hit the canvas. Referee Dan Miragliotta gave Lewis every opportunity to fight back but it was clear there was nothing left in the tank. Gane was awarded the third-round TKO win and the interim gold.
Francis Ngannou, the UFC Heavyweight Champion, took to his Twitter account to react to Gane’s big victory.
“Impressive performance from Gane! He’s now a legit contender. See you soon boy. When you know you know.”
With the win over Lewis, Gane has improved his perfect pro MMA record to 10-0. What has impressed many about Gane is that his first MMA fight took place just three years ago. He is now just one win away from becoming the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Champion.
Time will tell when Ciryl Gane will be able to go for the undisputed gold. Recently, Ngannou and UFC officials have butted heads over the booking of an interim title fight and fighter pay.