Tag: Ciryl Gane

Curtis Blaydes Calls For ‘Logical’ Fight Against Ciryl Gane

Curtis Blaydes is looking for a dance partner in Ciryl Gane. The UFC heavyweight division is really heating up. Champion Francis Ngannou is coming off a big title defense win over Ciryl Gane. He has been in contract negotiations with the UFC and will now need surgery. These factors make his immediate future in the […]

Continue Reading Curtis Blaydes Calls For ‘Logical’ Fight Against Ciryl Gane at MMA News.

Curtis Blaydes is looking for a dance partner in Ciryl Gane.

The UFC heavyweight division is really heating up. Champion Francis Ngannou is coming off a big title defense win over Ciryl Gane. He has been in contract negotiations with the UFC and will now need surgery.

These factors make his immediate future in the division unclear. If for some reason the UFC finds itself in need of another interim title or champion, it would be a good idea for the other top heavyweights to start marking their territory. That just might be what Curtis Blaydes is trying to do.

Blaydes took to social media in hopes of securing himself a match with the former challenger and interim titleholder Ciryl Gane.

“This has to be the next logical matchup for the both of us @ufc #makessense #dancepartner #heavyweight #contenders,” Blaydes wrote.

Blaydes last fought back in September. He defeated Jairzinho Rozenstruik by unanimous decision and slipped himself into the number four spot in the rankings. The only men ahead of him are Derrick Lewis, Stipe Miocic, and Gane.

Blaydes suffered a loss by Lewis recently, and Miocic seems to be holding firm for a title shot. His calling for Gane is a great idea, especially while the division is in a sort of holding pattern.

If Blaydes can get a win over Gane, he would put himself in a great position. However, there are a few curveballs that could be awaiting the division.

If Ngannou sits out and the UFC does not do anything to strip him, then the top five might just have to fight amongst themselves to see who will be the contender when Ngannou returns. Also, Jon Jones is supposedly making his heavyweight debut soon but will most likely only do so for a title shot.

Either way, a win over Gane puts Blaydes exactly where he needs to be in order to get a title shot when his number is called. He just needs Gane to accept first.

Do you think Curtis Blaydes can beat Ciryl Gane?

Continue Reading Curtis Blaydes Calls For ‘Logical’ Fight Against Ciryl Gane at MMA News.

Lopez Reveals How Usman Played Peacekeeper Between Him & Ngannou

Ciryl Gane’s coach Fernand Lopez has revealed what Kamaru Usman said to him after Francis Ngannou’s victory at UFC 270. While it may have somewhat drifted into the background with the remarkable situation surrounding the heavyweight champion’s future in the UFC and ongoing contractual dispute with the promotion, Ngannou’s bitter and public feud with MMA […]

Continue Reading Lopez Reveals How Usman Played Peacekeeper Between Him & Ngannou at MMA News.

Ciryl Gane’s coach Fernand Lopez has revealed what Kamaru Usman said to him after Francis Ngannou’s victory at UFC 270.

While it may have somewhat drifted into the background with the remarkable situation surrounding the heavyweight champion’s future in the UFC and ongoing contractual dispute with the promotion, Ngannou’s bitter and public feud with MMA Factory founder and head coach Lopez was an intriguing narrative heading into the opening pay-per-view main event of 2022.

Fueled by a dramatic backstage snub at UFC 268 that was worthy of a place in a soap opera, Lopez and Ngannou’s 2019 split rose back to the surface in recent months. While the Frenchman accused his former student of refusing to pay the gym membership and attempting to sabotage Gane’s rise to the UFC, the Cameroonian branded his ex-tutor as “evil”.

In the end, it was Ngannou who had the last laugh. Pushing through a heap of adversity, including the possibility of “irreversible damage” from a torn MCL and damaged ACL, “The Predator” wrestled his way to a unanimous decision victory over “Bon Gamin.”

Usman Pushed For Peace

With the culmination of the unification showdown and the crowning of an undisputed titleholder, most will hope we’ve seen the end of the public criticisms and insults between Ngannou and Lopez. One man who certainly feels that way is reigning UFC Welterweight Champion Kamaru Usman.

Usman, a good friend of his fellow African UFC champ, was in Ngannou’s corner for the UFC 270 main event. While Lopez didn’t share any words with “The Predator” after Gane’s defeat, he did interact with “The Nigerian Nightmare.”

During a recent appearance on Ariel Helwani’s The MMA Hour, Lopez revealed Usman pleaded with him to leave his differences with Ngannou in the past, something the 43-year-old says he is more than happy to do.

“When I shake Kamaru Usman’s hand, he stopped me and said to me, ‘Fernand, we are brothers. Let’s stop this. Let’s just move on.’ And I said, ‘You’re right. Let’s move on…’ I’m done. I’m exhausted with that topic,” said Lopez.

While we may not have seen the interaction and in-person make up between Lopez and Ngannou many wanted, the Frenchman’s post-fight words with the likes of Usman and opposition coach Eric Nicksick suggest both sides are willing to put their differences behind them.

That is, until we see Ngannou vs. Gane 2 down the line…

Should the beef between Fernand Lopez and Francis Ngannou be put to bed now that UFC 270 has passed?

Continue Reading Lopez Reveals How Usman Played Peacekeeper Between Him & Ngannou at MMA News.

Fernand Lopez: Gane Is Ready To Take Jones If Ngannou Isn’t

Ciryl Gane is willing to welcome Jon Jones to the heavyweight division. Although the heavyweight championship belt did not change hands at UFC 270, challenger Ciryl Gane is not discouraged. He is still a force to be reckoned with in the division, and with some uncertainty looming with champion Francis Ngannou in both health and […]

Continue Reading Fernand Lopez: Gane Is Ready To Take Jones If Ngannou Isn’t at MMA News.

Ciryl Gane is willing to welcome Jon Jones to the heavyweight division.

Although the heavyweight championship belt did not change hands at UFC 270, challenger Ciryl Gane is not discouraged. He is still a force to be reckoned with in the division, and with some uncertainty looming with champion Francis Ngannou in both health and contract, Gane is willing to step into the big opportunities.

Ngannou might be out of competition for an extended period of time. The champ needs surgery following his win over Gane. This fact, paired with the unstable relationship he has with the UFC, could put his future in the organization in jeopardy. This is where Gane can step up. He was the interim champion and still the number one contender. If the UFC needs a big fight while Ngannou is out it could be Gane vs. Jon Jones.

Jones has been teasing a move to heavyweight for over a year. He too has been having some contract trouble along with some personal issues throughout his transition. However, Jones will most likely be making his heavyweight debut in the near future and Gane could be the man to welcome him according to his coach.

“If they (the UFC) solve the problem with Francis, what they would like to do, what everyone would like to have, is Jon Jones vs. Francis,” Gane’s coach Fernand Lopez told MMA Fighting. “I’m realistic, Jon Jones is number one. This is how it works, it’s a business… If that does not happen, and they have any issues having Francis onboard in the company, then obviously, we are ready to take Jon Jones.”

It may be unlikely to see Jones come to the heavyweight division and fight for anything less than a title fight. Ngannou may be out for a while and the UFC could easily strip him or create another interim title. If either of these options were to happen, Gane vs. Jones could be a perfect fit.

Do you want to see Ciryl Gane vs. Jon Jones in the heavyweight division?

Continue Reading Fernand Lopez: Gane Is Ready To Take Jones If Ngannou Isn’t at MMA News.

Ngannou To Fans Who Said He Could Only Win By KO: You Were Wrong

Although UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou revealed that if he could have chosen his path to victory against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 it would have been via knockout, proving people wrong worked out well also. With the eyes of practically every fan on him and the talk in all circles surrounding his uncertain future […]

Continue Reading Ngannou To Fans Who Said He Could Only Win By KO: You Were Wrong at MMA News.

Although UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou revealed that if he could have chosen his path to victory against Ciryl Gane at UFC 270 it would have been via knockout, proving people wrong worked out well also.

With the eyes of practically every fan on him and the talk in all circles surrounding his uncertain future and ongoing dispute with the UFC, Ngannou didn’t buckle under the pressure.

In fact, much like his knee brace held up his torn MCL and damaged ACL through five rounds of action, Ngannou’s focus, perseverance, and the team around him held up his self-belief, something that would prove to be crucial on his path to victory.

Having pushed through multiple areas of adversity, “The Predator” made it to the Octagon for the first pay-per-view main event of 2022 with a point to prove. After two rounds of comfortable control on the feet for Gane, that point looked to be fading.

But after metaphorically catching that point and slamming it to the ground in the third round, the Cameroon native used his improved wrestling game to add the first blemish to his former teammate’s record.

Having been unable to get close to “Bon Gamin” on the feet, it was undoubtedly the strategic adjustment to takedowns and ground control that turned the tide last Saturday. Having seen Gane’s reaction to it at the end of the third round, Ngannou said he knew it was to be smooth sailing for the remaining 10 minutes.

Ngannou Happy To Prove Doubters Wrong Despite KO Preference

Prior to UFC 270, the prevailing narrative was that the unification showdown was a case of power vs. technique on the feet. Very few even discussed the possibility of either party choosing to initiate a wrestling sequence, and even fewer believed Ngannou would be capable of engineering a victory with it.

While he sees the opportunity to have proven his doubters wrong and show he can go five rounds, even when grappling is involved, as a good thing, Ngannou still admits he’d have chosen a KO if he could have.

“I didn’t know, for sure, that it was gonna be a grappling match. But I have that as an option, that it could be a grappling match,” Ngannou said during his appearance at the post-fight press conference. “Basically, because I wasn’t very comfortable on my stand, I wasn’t very stable, so I was very concerned. I couldn’t move properly, and against a guy who moves as well as Ciryl, It was very tough for me, the standup part. But he kind of gave me the opportunity; came to me at first with those takedowns… My team recommended me to keep doing that, work on the wrestling and grapple because we were pretty confident about our skills.

“Neither do I (expect to see me fight five rounds), I haven’t seen me fight for so long [LAUGHS]. The wrestling has been part of my game from the beginning. I’ve been working on (it), maybe it wasn’t good enough, but I never had a chance to prove it,” added Ngannou. “If I would’ve chose, it would’ve been a knockout man [LAUGHS]. This five rounds, it wasn’t my call. But meanwhile, it was a good thing because I finally had a chance to prove that I can do it. Everybody counts me out when it goes to five rounds, ‘Ah, Ciryl by decision! Only way Francis wins is by knockout,’ but you were wrong.”

With another wrinkle added to his game, Ngannou has displayed his development from knockout artist to all-round mixed martial artist. That’s certainly a scary prospect for the rest of the division should he agree to a new deal with the UFC and continue his reign.

What did you make of Francis Ngannou’s performance at UFC 270?

Continue Reading Ngannou To Fans Who Said He Could Only Win By KO: You Were Wrong at MMA News.

Ciryl Gane Unsurprised By Francis Ngannou Grappling, Wants Future Rematch

Ciryl GaneFormer interim UFC heavyweight champion, Ciryl Gane has claimed that he was not surprised with Francis Ngannou’s decision to wrestle and grapple with him at UFC 270 last night. And wants to secure a rematch with the Batie native in the future. Gane, who suffered his first professional mixed martial arts loss in the main […]

Ciryl Gane

Former interim UFC heavyweight champion, Ciryl Gane has claimed that he was not surprised with Francis Ngannou’s decision to wrestle and grapple with him at UFC 270 last night. And wants to secure a rematch with the Batie native in the future.

Gane, who suffered his first professional mixed martial arts loss in the main event of UFC 270, found himself on the receiving end of a unanimous decision (48-47, 48-47, 49-46) defeat against Ngannou – with the latter choosing to employ a quite surprising grappling and wrestling-heavy approach.

Ciryl Gane saw his seven-fight undefeated streak in the UFC halted by Francis Ngannou

From the third round onward, Ngannou managed to secure a total of four successful takedowns against Gane, who had found himself facing up from the canvas for the first time in his Octagon tenure. 

Speculation mounted early during Ngannou’s walk to the Octagon that he was dealing with a knee injury, after he entered the Octagon sporting compression supports on both knees, with many also questioning if he was preparing to wrestle and grapple with Gane.

One person who appeared more than expecting of Ngannou’s wrestling was Gane himself, who insisted he was unsurprised by the offence he found himself on the receiving end of.

“It (the wrestling) was not a surprise,” Ciryl Gane told media backstage at the UFC 270 post-fight press conference. “We (MMA Factory Paris) knew already it was one of his (Francis Ngannou) biggest chances to win some rounds. He did it and he did it very well, so good job. … We knew it already it was the biggest chance he had.”

“He really didn’t surprise me in the striking, the Muay Thai, the wrestling,” Ciryl Gane continued. “The wrestling was not really great wrestling. It was more about the power. I was not really surprised about all of that, but he did well. He did well.”

Eager to land a rematch with the now-undisputed heavyweight champion, Gane hopes Ngannou remains under the UFC’s banner in order to score a second fight with him.

“This is a reality,” Ciryl Gane said. “This is hurting me a lot but this is the truth. I hope tomorrow I’m going to improve. I’m going to do more to be a better version of myself. … If he leaves like that, I won’t want that. I want my rematch. I want to do this fight a second time. I want this fight. I want this rematch.” (Transcribed by MMA Junkie)