Tag: Ciryl Gane

EXCLUSIVE | Fernand Lopez Admits Sparring Footage Didn’t Tell The Whole Story: ‘Francis Got Dropped’

Fernand LopezMMA Factory head coach Fernand Lopez has cleared up what really went down between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane in their sparring sessions and now-viral footage. The buildup to Ngannou vs. Gane at UFC 270 has been interesting, to say the least. After Gane won the interim heavyweight title over Derrick Lewis, sparks have flown […]

Fernand Lopez

MMA Factory head coach Fernand Lopez has cleared up what really went down between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane in their sparring sessions and now-viral footage.

The buildup to Ngannou vs. Gane at UFC 270 has been interesting, to say the least. After Gane won the interim heavyweight title over Derrick Lewis, sparks have flown from both sides, especially between Ngannou and Lopez.

Things turned up a notch after footage of Gane and Ngannou sparring each other during their time at MMA Factory went viral. The clips show the two going at it in a light sparring session, with Gane arguably showing a bit more technical striking, despite it being in a training environment.

During an exclusive interview with LowKickMMA, Lopez asserted in never before released footage that Ngannou got dropped by a knee from Gane, briefly halting the session.

Fernand Lopez Claims Francis Ngannou Got Dropped With A Knee To The Body While Sparring Ciryl Gane

“That footage didn’t tell the whole story of what happened in training,” Lopez said. “There were so many opportunities where they got the better of each other in sparring. So we couldn’t have manipulated the footage. He didn’t want me to release the whole footage because, in that specific training, Francis Ngannou ate a knee shot to the liver and got dropped. Stopped the whole training. These are facts. Francis was on his backside. If he’s saying this isn’t true, I’ll release the whole footage. But, my content manager didn’t want to release it because we have privacy in the gym. When guys train in your gym, they expect things to stay in the gym.”

Lopez’s comments come after Ngannou went as far as calling his former coach “evil and manipulative” for leaking the sparring footage. Gane has also said that he’s able to manage Ngannou’s power and that the heavyweight champion is aware of this.

The first UFC pay-per-view of the year features a heavyweight showdown for the ages, and this ongoing controversy will surely fuel the fire of both men.

What do you think about the Francis Ngannou/Ciryl Gane sparring controversy?

Francis Ngannou Unamused By Ciryl Gane Downplaying His Power

UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou won’t allow himself to divert from the gameplan ahead of his UFC 270 clash with Ciryl Gane.

Ngannou will make his first title defense against Gane, a former teammate of his while they were at MMA Factory in …

Francis Ngannou, Ciryl Gane

UFC Heavyweight Champion Francis Ngannou won’t allow himself to divert from the gameplan ahead of his UFC 270 clash with Ciryl Gane.

Ngannou will make his first title defense against Gane, a former teammate of his while they were at MMA Factory in France. He’s been at an impasse with the UFC brass amidst an ongoing contract dispute but is ready to defend his belt at the UFC’s first pay-per-view event of 2022.

Ngannou and Gane have had a bit of an interesting buildup to their fight. The two had an awkward run-in backstage at UFC 268, and Gane recently downplayed the champion’s trademark knockout power.

“I think Francis did a lot these last years, and he proved he improved and he’s more intelligent,” Gane said in an interview with BT Sport. “And that’s great. He’s well-rounded now. And I think it’s gonna be more like that. Because he (knows) I can manage the power. I think he knows I can manage the power.”

During a recent interview with MMA Junkie’s Mike Bohn, Ngannou responded to Gane’s remarks and thinks his prediction was a bit forced.

“That’s probably his prediction because he has nowhere else to go,” Ngannou said. 

“He has nothing else to do. Instead of expecting to jump around and waiting for the decision, I’m sure he’s going to be like, ‘I’m going to take him to the long rounds, the deep water’ and all this. That can be his only prediction, which could be very contrary of my prediction, which is knocking him out.”

Francis Ngannou Vs. Ciryl Gane Wasn’t Expected To Happen Next

Gane earned the title shot after winning the interim heavyweight title over Derrick Lewis at UFC 265. He was able to stifle Lewis on the feet and control the pace of the fight, eventually earning a TKO finish.

Ngannou was widely expected to face Jon Jones for his first title defense after earning the belt over Stipe Miocic. The UFC then targeted a matchup between him and Lewis, but contract negotiations stalled as Ngannou asked for more money.

The Ngannou vs. Gane matchup pits two of the most elite strikers in MMA against one another. If Ngannou were to lose to Gane, his UFC future could be uncertain as he would then enter free agency.

What is your prediction for Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane?

Continue Reading Francis Ngannou Unamused By Ciryl Gane Downplaying His Power at MMA News.

Ciryl Gane Admits Ngannou Sparring Footage Made Him Look Good

UFC interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane agrees with Francis Ngannou that their leaked past sparring sessions were to his benefit.

Gane is set to face Ngannou for the UFC’s unified heavyweight title at UFC 270. The heavyweight slugfest will help…

Ciryl Gane

UFC interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane agrees with Francis Ngannou that their leaked past sparring sessions were to his benefit.

Gane is set to face Ngannou for the UFC’s unified heavyweight title at UFC 270. The heavyweight slugfest will help ring in the new year for the promotion as the first pay-per-view main event of 2022.

Recently leaked sparring footage from Gane and Ngannou’s time together at MMA Factory in France has increased speculation for how the fight will play out. Ngannou has recently voiced his displeasure for the leaked clips, alluding that the footage made Gane look better than he is.

During a recent interview with French publication La Sueur, Gane gave his reaction to Ngannou’s latest comments about the footage.

“It’s true that in that clip – I’m not going to lie – it was a soft sparring and I could confidently develop my game,” Gane said. “There were other sparring sessions where he [Francis Ngannou] had more the edge. One time it was me, one time it was him. To say that he was far ahead, no, it’s not necessarily true. But it’s true that this particular clip made me look good.” (h/t LowKickMMA)

Ciryl Gane, Francis Ngannou Have A Complicated Relationship

While Gane and Ngannou appear to have mutual respect for one another ahead of their matchup, there has been tension between the two sides. Ngannou has a fractured relationship with his former coach, Fernand Lopez, who has helped direct Gane’s rise to the top of the heavyweight division.

Lopez has accused Ngannou of being a bad teammate during his time at MMA Factory and allegedly failing to pay an annual fee to train at the gym. Ngannou and Gane also had an awkward run-in backstage while both attended UFC 268.

While it’s debatable who got the better of the exchanges in their past sparring sessions, Gane and Ngannou will put it all on the line in their highly anticipated heavyweight battle.

What is your prediction for the UFC 270 main event?

Continue Reading Ciryl Gane Admits Ngannou Sparring Footage Made Him Look Good at MMA News.

Ciryl Gane Admits Francis Ngannou Sparring Footage Made Him Look Good

Ciryl GaneCiryl Gane has admitted that the recently released footage from his past sparring session with Francis Ngannou made him look good and is not necessarily a representation of how their training scraps would go. The UFC heavyweight champion took issue with the above sparring footage which he claimed had been “manipulated” to make him look […]

Ciryl Gane

Ciryl Gane has admitted that the recently released footage from his past sparring session with Francis Ngannou made him look good and is not necessarily a representation of how their training scraps would go.

The UFC heavyweight champion took issue with the above sparring footage which he claimed had been “manipulated” to make him look bad.

In a recent interview with French media outlet La Sueur, Gane suggested that Ngannou’s issue with the leaked sparring footage was justified.

“It’s true that in that clip – I’m not going to lie – it was a soft sparring and I could confidently develop my game,” Gane said. “There were other sparring sessions where he [Francis Ngannou] had more the edge. One time it was me, one time it was him. To say that he was far ahead, no, it’s not necessarily true. But it’s true that this particular clip made me look good.”

Ciryl Gane Thinks Francis Ngannou Is The Strongest Fighter In UFC History

The former teammates turned enemies will unify the heavyweight division at UFC 270 on January 22.

Ahead of the eagerly anticipated match-up, Gane spoke about how he will approach fighting Ngannou who he rates as one of the best athletes the UFC has ever seen.

“You know we’re coming into this fight with our own strengths,” Gane explained. “We’re not here to try and counter his strengths. We don’t want to try and be stronger than him. Till today, I’ve never seen anyone as powerful, as athletic, [and] with such knockout power. I’ve never seen it. In terms of strength, Francis might be the most impressive guy in UFC history. I’m not going to try to become stronger than him in three months. It wouldn’t make sense.” (Transcribed by Sportskeeda)

Who do you think will win the heavyweight unification fight at UFC 270? Francis Ngannou or Ciryl Gane?

Ciryl Gane Explains Why Past Racism He’s Faced Never Bothered Him

Ciryl Gane has never allowed himself to be affected by racism.

Ciryl Gane is something of a renaissance man. He is a superb technical fighter and interim UFC champion only three years into his professional career; he has gone on record in stating h…

Ciryl Gane

Ciryl Gane has never allowed himself to be affected by racism.

Ciryl Gane is something of a renaissance man. He is a superb technical fighter and interim UFC champion only three years into his professional career; he has gone on record in stating he is a terrific basketball player and soccer player who was recruited by scouts as a potential professional; and as it turns out, “Bon Gamin” is also something of an intellectual.

In a recent appearance on Clique TV, Gane was asked directly if he had experienced racism. You can find his response in the video clip below.

In the video, Gane states that he has experienced racism, but he never lets it affect him because it is merely a form of foolishness. Furthermore, he has had no desire to become violent when faced with racism due to violence serving no purpose against such foolishness.

Indeed, racism is a mindless, immortal beast that is born from foolishness and can be found anywhere. In fact, at the most recent UFC event, welterweight Belal Muhammad spoke about an experience with a racist fan during his UFC Vegas 45 bout against Stephen Thompson.

Instead of worrying about fools from the past or any others that may emerge in the future, Gane has more meaningful issues to concern his wits with and certainly more significant matters to fight about. He will do just that when he faces UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in a few weeks at UFC 270 live on pay-per-view.

Do you think Ciryl Gane’s response to racism is something others should look to follow?

Continue Reading Ciryl Gane Explains Why Past Racism He’s Faced Never Bothered Him at MMA News.

Ciryl Gane Explains Why Past Racism He’s Faced Never Bothered Him

Ciryl Gane has never allowed himself to be affected by racism.

Ciryl Gane is something of a renaissance man. He is a superb technical fighter and interim UFC champion only three years into his professional career; he has gone on record in stating h…

Ciryl Gane

Ciryl Gane has never allowed himself to be affected by racism.

Ciryl Gane is something of a renaissance man. He is a superb technical fighter and interim UFC champion only three years into his professional career; he has gone on record in stating he is a terrific basketball player and soccer player who was recruited by scouts as a potential professional; and as it turns out, “Bon Gamin” is also something of an intellectual.

In a recent appearance on Clique TV, Gane was asked directly if he had experienced racism. You can find his response in the video clip below.

In the video, Gane states that he has experienced racism, but he never lets it affect him because it is merely a form of foolishness. Furthermore, he has had no desire to become violent when faced with racism due to violence serving no purpose against such foolishness.

Indeed, racism is a mindless, immortal beast that is born from foolishness and can be found anywhere. In fact, at the most recent UFC event, welterweight Belal Muhammad spoke about an experience with a racist fan during his UFC Vegas 45 bout against Stephen Thompson.

Instead of worrying about fools from the past or any others that may emerge in the future, Gane has more meaningful issues to concern his wits with and certainly more significant matters to fight about. He will do just that when he faces UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in a few weeks at UFC 270 live on pay-per-view.

Do you think Ciryl Gane’s response to racism is something others should look to follow?

Continue Reading Ciryl Gane Explains Why Past Racism He’s Faced Never Bothered Him at MMA News.