Daniel Cormier

UFC: Is Ciryl Gane the next great UFC heavyweight?

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Ciryl Gane UFC

The UFC‘s heavyweight division is in a very weird position. At the top of the division, you have two men (Stipe Miocic & Daniel Cormier) who are getting ready to fight for the third time for the heavyweight title. Neither man is guaranteed to fight again after their trilogy.

Behind them, you have the most terrifying heavyweight in the world, Francis Ngannou (15-3). After Ngannou, the water gets murky for the heavyweight division.

Sure you have a guy like Curtis Blaydes, but he’s already lost to Ngannou twice. After Blaydes, the rest of the division is not very strong. However, there is one contender who just broke into the UFC‘s top 15 that people should pay attention to. He’s also a teammate of Ngannou. That man is Ciryl Gane (6-0).

From Muay Thai to the UFC

Gane is a French heavyweight who got his combat sports start in Muay Thai. Gane went a perfect 7-0 in Muay Thai including winning a title before making a jump to MMA. One year after his professional MMA debut, Gane made his UFC debut in August of 2019.

Gane fought three times from August to December winning all three of his UFC appearances to vault him to the fifteenth ranking. Gane is a massive heavyweight standing 6’5 and weighing the maximum of 265 pounds. There’s no soft in his physique as he’s a solid 265 pounds.

“Bon Gamin” is extremely entertaining to watch. He’s such a high level striker, but he doesn’t throw with all his power a lot of the time. He fights in a traditional point fighting style where he mainly touches his opponents. However, when he sees the opening, he can uncork power shots that are capable of putting anyone to sleep in the UFC‘s heavyweight division.

Another contender is what the UFC needs

As mentioned early, Gane currently trains at the MMA Factory alongside Francis Ngannou. Gane believes that Ngannou is going to become the next UFC heavyweight champion. He acknowledged that this could create an interesting situation between the two men and the camp.

“It’s a sport… If we can avoid the situation it would be best, but if I had to fight Francis, I would do this,” Gane told Fox Sports last year.

Gane is someone who I think the UFC really needs for it’s heavyweight division. As mentioned, after Ngannou the division looks pretty weak. If Gane can develop into a star, there could be massive potential for a Gane/Ngannou fight one day. For now, Gane has a fight next month against top contender, Sergei Pavlovich (14-1). If Gane is able to get through Pavlovich, a top-ten opponent would be next for the Frenchman.

ESM’s Men’s UFC Pound-for-Pound rankings ahead of Saturday Night

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One of the things that never seems to make sense to the world is the UFC rankings. If you go over to the UFC’s official rankings page, the pound for pound rankings make you scratch your head. At ESM, we have decided to throw our hat into the ring to create our own rankings that we will keep updated following every major UFC/MMA event.

Men’s Pound-For-Pound Rankings

  1. Jon Jones (26-1, 1 NC)
  2. Khabib Nurmagomedov (28-0)
  3. Israel Adesanya (19-0)
  4. Kamaru Usman (16-1)
  5. Stipe Miocic (19-3)
  6. Daniel Cormier (22-2, 1 NC)
  7. Alexander Volkanovski (21-1)
  8. Justin Gaethje (22-2)
  9. Conor McGregor (22-4)
  10. Francis Ngannou (15-3)

To me, Jon Jones is still the best to ever do it inside the octagon. In reality, the man is 28-0 just like Nurmagomedov but due to an elbow rule and a picogram, he’s got two blemishes on his record. Still when “Bones” is on his game, he’s the best in the world possessing elite skills in all aspects of MMA.

In comparison to the UFC‘s official rankings you’ll notice some differences. I personally left Dustin Poirier and Max Holloway outside of the top ten. Holloway is 1-2 in his last three fights which hurts his case. Poirier was a tough call, but I went with Gaethje and McGregor from that division. I think if Poirier were to rematch both men especially the new and improved Justin Gaethje, it could be a long night for him.

Francis Ngannou is the one who needs to be ranked higher in the UFC‘s rankings. The Predator is currently ranked 14th, but he belongs in the top ten. The most prolific knockout artist in UFC history is on a Mike Tyson like tear right now. His last four fights have gone a combined 2:42 against top heavyweight competition.

UFC 251’s Potential Impact

There are a couple of fights that will have an impact on the P4P UFC rankings this Saturday. The main event of the evening features Kamaru Usman and Jorge Masvidal (35-13). Masvidal has won three fights in a row, but if he’s able to defeat Usman, he will finally launch into the top ten pound for pound rankings. Usman will likely hold in the fourth spot with a win on Saturday night.

Alexander Volkanovski can jump in the rankings even more if he’s able to defeat Holloway for a second time. The Australian has won 18 fights in a row including all eight of his UFC fights. If he’s able to retain his title on Saturday night and do it impressively, you could make the argument that he belongs in the top five.

Holloway could get back into the top ten if he’s able to regain his title. 2019 was not a great year for the former champion losing two fights. However, the Blessed Era can make an emphatic return if he’s able to dethrone Vokanovski on Saturday night. Fight Island definitely has the potential to shake up our UFC men’s pound for pound rankings.

UFC: With the trilogy booked for August, who has more on the line between Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic?

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On August 15th, two of the greatest fighters that have ever stepped foot inside the UFC‘s octagon will settle their rivalry once and for all. The two champions have fought twice, and both men have secured a knockout. Daniel Cormier (22-2, 1 NC) moved up from light heavyweight and stopped Stipe Miocic (19-3) in the first round at UFC 226 to become a double champion. After waiting over a year for a rematch, Miocic got his revenge stopping Cormier in the fourth round at UFC 241 last August. Now the two men will face each other one final time. With the trilogy booked, one has to wonder, who has more on the line in this fight?

The case for Miocic

Stipe Miocic is considered by many to be the best heavyweight champion the UFC has ever seen. He holds the record for the most successful title defenses of the heavyweight title. Prior to his reign, nobody had ever defended the title successfully three times, but Miocic accomplished that with his dominant victory over top contender, Francis Ngannou. In a weird way, Miocic has been drastically underappreciated. Miocic rose through the ranks, won the heavyweight title by knockout, then had three incredible title defenses in a row before losing to Cormier. Miocic has beaten some of the greatest to ever do it, but he still doesn’t get the respect he deserves. You could make the argument that this fight is more important for him to finally get the respect he deserves. Many consider Cormier to be one of the greatest to ever do it, but two clean victories over “DC” would cement Stipe forever as the greatest heavyweight of all time.

The case for Cormier

If it wasn’t for a man named Jon Jones, Daniel Cormier might be considered the greatest of all time. Cormier has beaten the best in the sport in two different weight classes, but Jones was the one man he couldn’t beat. Cormier became the light heavyweight champion only after Jones was stripped of the title. Cormier beat all the contenders, but couldn’t get the job done against Jones either time they fought. Cormier’s light heavyweight title always had an asterisk by some pundits due to the fact that he never beat Jones.

Cormier moved up in weight to heavyweight where he had never lost in his professional career. The only reason Cormier moved down to light heavyweight to begin with was because of his close friend and teammate, Cain Velasquez. Velasquez once ruled the heavyweight division, and the teammates vowed to never fight. When Cain was out of the picture, Cormier moved up to challenge Miocic. “DC” caught Stipe with the perfect punch coming out of a clinch to secure the UFC heavyweight title. Cormier defended the title once against Derrick Lewis before losing it back to Stipe. This fight is huge for Cormier, due to the luck factor. Nobody can take away the fact that Cormier won the heavyweight title clean, but if he loses to Stipe a second time, many pundits will argue that he won the title with a lucky punch. In my opinion, you can’t contest DC’s greatness, but you know that some critics will always say that he couldn’t beat Jon Jones, and he got lucky against Miocic in their first fight if he were to lose.

Greatest UFC Heavyweight of All Time

To me, whoever wins this fight will go down as the greatest heavyweight in UFC history. Even in a loss, Miocic will have more of a resume as champion, but two wins over Stipe for Cormier would take the cake. I think the fight means more for Daniel Cormier than it does for Stipe Miocic. Miocic will always have the distinction of the first champion to defend the title three times. There are no question marks or asterisks by any of his title wins. Cormier on the other hand, has an asterisk by his light heavyweight run, and many might say he just got lucky in the first Miocic fight. If Cormier is able to defeat Miocic again, nobody can takeaway or say anything about the legendary career that he has had. I cannot wait for this trilogy fight, and I encourage fight fans to soak it all in because it might be the last time we either one of these all time greats

UFC: Curtis Blaydes’ planning on waiting for a title shot if he wins Saturday, but he could be waiting a while

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Curtis Blaydes, UFC

There is no question that UFC heavyweight, Curtis Blaydes (13-2, 1 NC), is one of the best heavyweights in the world. Blaydes is currently ranked as the third best heavyweight in the UFC’s heavyweight division. Since joining the UFC back in 2016, Blaydes has a very good record of 8-2 with one no contest. Blaydes is going up against the fifth ranked heavyweight this Saturday night in Alexander Volkov (31-7). Blaydes told MMA Junkie if he beats Volkov, he will likely try to sit out until he gets a title shot, but is that smart?

State of the UFC’s heavyweight division

The UFC‘s heavyweight division is in a very weird spot at the moment. Current champion, Stipe Miocic, is scheduled to conclude his trilogy with former champion, Daniel Cormier on August 15th. Cormier has publicly said that this would be his last fight win or lose. One has to wonder what the future would hold for Miocic if he was to win. The champion will turn 38-years-old four days after the title fight with Cormier. If he’s able to beat Cormier, what’s left for him at heavyweight? There is only one true number one contender right now, and Miocic has already defeated him. That number one contender is the frightening, Francis Ngannou. Is the risk of fighting Ngannou worth the reward for Miocic if he’s able to beat Cormier for a second time? The UFC could be looking at a situation where both Miocic and Cormier walk away from the sport after UFC 252. The only man that I could see either guy fighting after the August 15th title fight is Jon Jones.

The Ngannou Problem

If Ngannou is the number one contender and Blaydes is right behind him, Blaydes should just wait to see what happens after August 15th right? I mean if both men retire, Blaydes would have to get the title shot against Ngannou for the vacant heavyweight title, right? Here’s the issue with that. Blaydes has lost twice to Ngannou already, and neither fight was close. In-fact, Blaydes didn’t even last one minute the last time they fought. Even if Blaydes beats Volkov which would be his fourth win in a row, I’m not sure the UFC would be jumping at the chance to book him and Ngannou for the vacant heavyweight title if the 8/15 winner retires. The likely scenario would be that the UFC would throw a lot more money at Jon Jones to make the superfight with Ngannou happen for the heavyweight title, leaving Blaydes on the sidelines.

Blaydes’ Dilemma

Another intriguing possibility to fight Ngannou if the title was to become vacant is Anthony “Rumble” Johnson. I wrote about that being a potential superfight that the UFC could put together this year. Of course, Johnson wouldn’t have the heavyweight resume that Blaydes has, but that fight would sell a lot more, and the UFC is a business at the end of the day. I get where Blaydes is coming from in saying that he wants to wait for a UFC title shot if he wins on Saturday. Unfortunately his two losses to the current number one contender really puts him behind the eight-ball in the title shot pecking order. I think it’s going to be a long time before Blaydes gets a UFC title shot with the way things currently stand.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1kMf-r3X8lQ

Junior Dos Santos meets Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC 252

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UFC 252 is going to be headlined by the UFC heavyweight title fight between champion, Stipe Miocic (19-3), and former champion, Daniel Cormier (22-2), but another big-time heavyweight matchup was just added to the card. Multiple reports have confirmed that former heavyweight champion, Junior dos Santos (21-7), will be meeting Jairzinho Rozenstruik (10-1) on August 15th.

A must-win for Cigano

In 2019, Dos Santos was closing in on another UFC title shot after he had gone on a three-fight winning streak. He was finally looking like the guy that we remember that knocked out Cain Velasquez years ago. He had back-to-back knockouts over Tai Tuivasa and Derrick Lewis to put him prime shape to get a title shot. Unfortunately for Cigano, he ran into Francis Ngannou. Ngannou put Dos Santos out in the first round. Following that loss, Dos Santos was stopped by Curtis Blaydes back at UFC Fight Night 166. Dos Santos does not have any easy challenge in front of him next, and he’s desperate for a victory.

Rozenstruik looks to get back on track

Rozenstruik entered 2020 as a heavyweight prospect that everyone was talking about. “Bigi Boy” had won his first four UFC fights all by knockout including a knockout of Alistair Overeem which produced one of the worst cuts I’ve ever seen. Rozenstruik was riding high until he ran into the same problem that Dos Santos ran into, Francis Ngannou. Rozenstruik called out Ngannou after his last victory, and that proved to be a mistake. Ngannou knocked out Rozenstruik in just 20 seconds back at UFC 249. Rozenstruik will look to right this ship at UFC 252 against the former champion, Dos Santos.

Battle of Heavyweights at UFC 252

UFC 252 is going to be all about the heavyweights it appears. I cannot wait to see the trilogy conclude between Cormier and Miocic, and now I’m pumped for this matchup. I think one of these two men are going to get a stoppage, but I’m not ready to make a prediction just yet. Dana White teased this afternoon that some crazy fights were getting booked, and my guess is that this card will get even deeper as we get closer to August 15th.

UFC close to finalizing Stipe Miocic vs Daniel Cormier 3

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The UFC is close to finalizing the third and final installment of the Stipe Miocic/Daniel Cormier rivalry for later this summer. The two fighters have taken to Twitter to announce that the trilogy fight is on.

UFC President, Dana White, hinted this weekend at UFC 250 that the fight was close to being done. Stipe Miocic (19-3), has been recovering much of this year from an eye injury that he suffered at the hands of Daniel Cormier (22-2-1) in their second fight back at UFC 241. That night, Miocic redeemed himself, stopping Cormier in the fourth round to win back the heavyweight title of the world.

As UFC fans, we are getting to witness a second trilogy in the last ten years involving the heavyweight title. Cormier’s AKA teammate, Cain Velasquez, and Junior dos Santos gave UFC fans three incredible fights for the heavyweight title. Velazquez closed the trilogy with an incredible fifth round TKO to win the series 2-1. Now, it’s Cormier’s turn to try to win his trilogy in what will likely be his last UFC fight.

Miocic: 1 – Cormier: 1 with 2 Knockouts

Cormier became the second man in UFC history to hold two UFC titles simultaneously after he knocked out Miocic back at UFC 226. Miocic had defended the title more times than any UFC heavyweight champion in history, but Cormier, who was the light heavyweight champion at the time, moved up in weight and knocked him out in the first round. The MMA world was turned on it’s head, and Cormier finally won a legitimate title that wasn’t tied to his light heavyweight rival, Jon Jones.

Cormier defended the title against Derrick Lewis back at UFC 230 before granting Miocic his rematch. The second fight was a classic back and forth battle. Cormier was controlling the fight leading into the championship rounds. However, Miocic made some key adjustments and started doing serious body work. Miocic was able to catch Cormier with a body shot which hurt “DC” bad, and Miocic finished him off with a flurry of punches winning back his title.

Miocic vs Cormier 3 is about more than the title

There is so much on the line in the conclusion of this trilogy. If Miocic is able to defeat Cormier for a second time, he will solidify himself as the greatest heavyweight champion of all time. If Cormier is able to defeat Miocic for the second time, he might be able to make that same distinction, but he will also go down as one of the greatest to ever do it. These two men do not like each other, and both men have knocked the other out. This is the heavyweight title fight we’ve been waiting for, and it’s going to happen later this summer.