Ciryl
Gane operated on an entirely different level from the man on
the other side of the cage.
The 33-year-old Frenchman steadied himself among the
Ultimate Fighting Championship’s heavyweight elite, as he
tracked down and systematically dismantled Sergey
Spivak in the second round of their
UFC Fight Night 226 headliner on Saturday at Accor Arena.
Spivak (16-4, 7-4 UFC) met his end 3:44 into Round 2, losing for
the first time in nearly two years.
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Gane (12-2, 9-2 UFC), in his first appearance since being throttled
by Jon
Jones in March, was virtually flawless in his execution. He
shut down an attempted takedown from Spivak with his sprawl in the
first round and never looked back. Gane abused the Moldovan with
clubbing shots to the head and body, targeted the legs on occasion
and broke him down piece by piece. He pinned Spivak to the fence
late in Round 2 and slammed a brutal knee into his guts, setting
off the finishing sequence. Standing hammerfists interspersed with
savage punches to the head and body went unanswered, leading
referee Marc Goddard to call for the stoppage.
Fiorot Downs Namajunas, Pushes Streak to 11
Boxing Squad’s Manon
Fiorot took another step toward a potential title shot at 125
pounds with a unanimous decision over “The Ultimate Fighter” Season
20 finalist Rose
Namajunas in the three-round women’s flyweight co-main event.
Fiorot (11-1, 6-0 UFC) swept the scorecards with 30-27, 29-28 and
29-28 marks from the cageside judges.
The 31-year-old Namajunas (11-6, 9-5 UFC), a two-time UFC women’s
strawweight champion, could not close the size and strength gap
present between the two combatants. An apparent finger injury did
not help matters for “Thug Rose.” Fiorot tipped her spear with a
punishing jab, intermittent combinations, a few side kicks to the
body and impenetrable takedown defense. Frustration grew for
Namajunas as time wore on. An accidental clash of heads resulted in
a cut above Fiorot’s right ear, but she paid the considerable blood
loss no mind, went about her business like a pro and perhaps
cemented herself as the No. 1 contender in waiting in the women’s
flyweight division.
Fiorot now finds herself on an 11-fight winning streak.
Surging St. Denis Mauls Moises
Benoit St.
Denis turned away former Resurrection Fighting Alliance
champion Thiago
Moises with punches in the second round of their lightweight
showcase.
Moises (17-7, 6-5 UFC) checked out 4:44 into Round 2, losing for
the third time in five appearances.
St. Denis (12-1, 4-1 UFC) seized the reins at the start and never
let them go. The Woirin Team Elite export within the first five
minutes threw punches with conviction, crowded Moises in the
clinch, struck for a takedown an opened a cut near the Brazilian’s
right eye with a standing-to-ground elbow strike. Not much changed
in the middle stanza. St. Denis bullied the American Top Team
mainstay to the floor, heated up his ground-and-pound again and
drew the curtain with a volley of unanswered right hands to the
head.
An emerging threat at 155 pounds, St. Denis has recorded four
straight wins.
Oezdemir Choke Foils Guskov
Allstars Training Center export Volkan
Oezdemir rebounded from an Oct. 22 loss to Nikita
Krylov, as he disposed of Bogdan
Guskov with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their
light heavyweight attraction. A short-notice replacement for
Azamat
Murzakanov, Guskov (14-3, 0-1 UFC) raised the white flag of
surrender 3:46 into Round 1.
Oezdemir (19-7, 7-6 UFC) surprised the Uzbekistan native with a
takedown inside the first 90 seconds, reset in open space after
they returned to their feet and checked the chin with a sweeping
left hook. Guskov retreated backward, but there was nowhere to
hide. Oezdemir connected with another left hook, followed it with
an uppercut and drove his counterpart to the canvas. From there,
the Swiss veteran advanced to the back, bit down on the choke and
elicited the tapout.
It was Oezdemir’s first submission victory since April 7, 2012.
Controversial Gomis Strike Stops Ghemmouri
William
Gomis put away onetime Sparta Fight Series champion Yani
Ghemmouri with a body kick that appeared to stray south of the
border in the third round of their featherweight feature. Referee
Loic
Pora waved it off 2:20 into Round 3, the controversial result
likely to inspire conversation and derision in the days and weeks
ahead.
The 26-year-old Gomis (13-2, 3-0 UFC) controlled a majority of the
match with kicks to the body and legs, clever movement and
occasional combinations. His work managed to keep Ghemmouri (12-2,
0-1 UFC) off-balance and out of gear, forcing the Climax Fight
Academy to resort to largely ineffective clinches in which neither
man separated himself. .
Gomis will ride an 11-fight winning streak into his next
assignment.
Charrier Kicks Wreck Zecchini
Former Cage Warriors Fighting Championship titleholder Morgan
Charriere buried Manolo
Zecchini with a series of brutal body kicks and follow-up
punches in the first round of their featherweight appetizer.
Zecchini (11-4, 0-1 UFC) succumbed to blows 3:51 into Round 1,
suffering his first stoppage defeat in more than three
years.
Charriere (19-9-1, 1-0 UFC) was calm and composed despite the
emotional setting of his promotional debut. The Frenchman countered
beautifully and operated behind an educated jab, waiting for
openings to present themselves. Zecchini obliged. Charriere
connected with three body kicks, one behind the other, and then
doubled over the Italian newcomer with a front kick to the guts.
Another round kick to the midsection and punches followed,
prompting referee Rich Mitchell to act.
The 27-year-old Charrier has won four fights in a row, three of
them finishes.
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