For the second consecutive fight, Ciryl Gane
went 25 minutes with a dangerous opponent and emerged with a
unanimous decision triumph.
After defeating Jarizinho Rozenstruik in the UFC Fight Night 186
headliner this past February, “Bon Gamin” outclassed Alexander
Volkov in the
UFC Fight Night 190 main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on
Saturday.
“We are comfortable with 25 minutes … I’m really happy with
everything that’s happening at this moment,” Gane said. “We did it
twice. Two main events, two wins, I’m really happy.”
While the Rozenstruik matchup was criticized for its lack of
action, Gane believes he pushed the pace more effectively against
Volkov. The statistics seem to support that notion, as the
Frenchman landed 135 signficant strikes in the bout — the seventh
most ever in a UFC heavyweight fight.
“For the main event, people want a show,” Gane said. “Today I think
I made a little bit more pressure … We were really prepared for his
performance. Volkov is a big guy, really tough, really heavy,
taller than me, he has good kicks, good striking too. The fight was
really balanced, and I’m really happy about that.”
Gane is unbeaten in nine professional outings since beginning his
MMA career in 2018. That includes a 6-0 mark in the UFC, with
triumphs over the likes of Volkov, Rozenstruik, Junior dos
Santos and Tanner
Boser. The 31-year-old is confident that he has done enough in
the division to receive a heavyweight title shot.
“I think today I proved it,” Gane said. “I don’t need another fight
for the title shot. I think this guy Volkov was a really great
challenge to prove it, and I proved it. I did it. So, tomorrow,
yes, if the UFC want to match me for the title shot, I’m
ready.”
At the moment, the UFC is expected to book a heavyweight title tilt
between reigning champion Francis
Ngannou and Derrick
Lewis. Gane and Ngannou have a history, as both men trained at
the MMA Factory. Today, though, Gane says he has no problem
squaring off against his former sparring partner, who has since
relocated to Las Vegas, where he works at Xtreme Couture and the
UFC Performance Institute.
“I’m comfortable about this matchup if this matchup is going to
happen,” Gane said. “It was a shame before the title. Now, for the
title, I’m really comfortable with this situation, because we’re
not in the same gym. If we’re going to fight for the belt, this is
beautiful for me, for him, for my coach, and the MMA Factory.”
Of course, there is always the possibility that the UFC reaches
terms with Jon Jones for
a move to heavyweight, which could further delay the heavyweight
title picture. Regardless, Gane doesn’t seem interested in taking
another fight to stay busy in the meantime.
“I think we can wait,” Gane said. “This will give us time to
improve in some department of myself. So I can wait, and I have a
baby coming next month.”