UFC Heavyweight

Alistair Overeem stops Augusto Sakai at UFC Vegas 9

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The UFC hosted it’s ninth event from the APEX this evening. It was a wild event and it all started way before the event started. The promotion lost several fights that left UFC Vegas 9 with just seven fights. Due to this, they decided to just have a fight card instead of having prelims and a main card.

In the main event of the evening Alistair Overeem (47-18, 1 NC) took on Augusto Sakai (15-2-1) in a fight that was massive for the UFC‘s heavyweight division. Both men were looking to take another step towards a future shot at the heavyweight crown.

Overeem Continues Final UFC Run

In a back and forth battle, Alistair Overeem was able to stop Augusto Sakai. This fight all came down to the experience of Overeem. This is a massive UFC win for Overeem who is in the twilight of his professional career.

Early on in the main event of UFC Vegas 9, Augusto Sakai was getting the better of Overeem. Overeem, the decorated striker, was getting outstruck on the feet. Sakai was doing a fantastic job of using blitzes to stifle Overeem against the fence.

However, halfway through the fight, Overeem made the winning adjustment. He started taking Sakai down. Once Overeem got Sakai down, Sakai really had no answer. Overeem got Sakai down in the fifth round for the final time and earned his second UFC main event victory of 2020.

For the second straight fight, Overeem had to battle adversity. However, Overeem was able to overcome it to win the fight. At 40 years old, Overeem is trying for one final run at the UFC heavyweight title.

 

 

UFC: Dana White is interested in booking Brock Lesnar – Jon Jones

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The combat sports world has been buzzing over the past few days after learning that former UFC heavyweight champion, Brock Lesnar (5-3, 1 NC), was a free agent. Lesnar’s merchandise was pulled off the WWE website, and it’s been reported that they couldn’t come to terms on a new deal.

Of course, many quickly pointed out a potential MMA return for Lesnar. Scott Coker of Bellator pointed out potentially matching him with Fedor Emelianenko. However, I believe he still has an active UFC contract. At least, Dana White said that a couple of years ago.

Lesnar was going to return to the UFC to fight Daniel Cormier after Cormier won the heavyweight title from Stipe Miocic at UFC 226. Lesnar even entered the USADA testing pool. That fight never came together, and Lesnar stayed with the WWE. Now, White seems to be interested in Lesnar fighting another top UFC star.

Lesnar – Jones in the UFC?

If Brock Lesnar is actually interested in fighting again, Jon Jones (26-1, 1 NC) is the only fight that makes real sense. I don’t see Lesnar at 43 years old coming back for a title run. He might just want to come back for one big show that’ll generate a massive payday for him.

Jon Jones is stuck right now. He’s moving up to heavyweight, but he’s not the first in line for the title. The UFC has stated over and over that Francis Ngannou (15-3) will be getting the next crack at Stipe Miocic. So until that fight, Jones will wait on the sidelines.

Nobody wants to see Jones fight a contender like Curtis Blaydes or Derrick Lewis. They want to see him fight for the title or fight someone extremely entertaining. That’s where Brock Lesnar enters the UFC‘s train of thought.

Jones has expressed interest in fighting Lesnar in the past. Lesnar always told Jones to be careful what he wished for. A Jones – Lesnar fight is really a win-win situation for the UFC. It’s not really a massive risk for Jones in fighting a 43 year old Lesnar, and it would be a big payday. As White pointed out, it would be a good introduction to heavyweight for Jones.

I’m not convinced that this fight will actually happen, but it is one that would make sense in a weird way. While it’s not the fight it once would have been, I’m all in for seeing Jon Jones fight Brock Lesnar in the UFC.

UFC: Stipe Miocic isn’t interested in a rematch with Francis Ngannou

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MMA, Stipe Miocic

Following UFC 252, it seemed like there was a pretty clear plan for the heavyweight division. Stipe Miocic (20-3) defeated Daniel Cormier to cement his legacy as the best heavyweight in UFC history.

After defeating DC for the second time, it seemed like there was a clear next challenger. Francis Ngannou (15-3) has knocked out four consecutive opponents in 2:42 total to earn a rematch with the champion, Miocic.

UFC President Dana White made it clear that Ngannou was next for Stipe. Many wondered if Jon Jones (26-1, 1 NC) would jump ahead of Francis with his move to heavyweight. White made it clear that Ngannou would be next. However, the champion doesn’t seem interested.

Stipe wants something different

In a Q&A on Instagram, Miocic stated, “Francis isn’t exciting to me. Already put on a 25 minute clinic on how to beat him. Want a new challenge!” The UFC champion is clearly wanting something other than the Ngannou rematch right now.

Ngannou deserves a shot, but Miocic does have a point. Their first fight was not close. What does Miocic really have to gain from fighting Ngannou again? That fight is way more risk than reward for the champion.

The UFC could find themselves in a pickle over this situation. What do you do if the most decorated champion in heavyweight history turns down the number one contender? The answer is actually pretty simple.

Yes, White has emphatically stated multiple times that Jon Jones will not jump the line in front of Ngannou. White did say Jones would get an immediate title shot, but Ngannou would get his first. However, Miocic might be able to force the issue with his statements.

The UFC’s dilemma

The UFC is in a unique spot, but it’s not a spot they hadn’t been in before. When Khabib Nurmagomedov was clearly deserving of the lightweight title shot a few years back, the promotion gave the shot to then featherweight champion, Conor McGregor, who wanted to move up.

I could see a similar scenario playing out here with the UFC heavyweight title. While Ngannou should get the next shot, I could see the promotion shifting to the greatest of all time facing the greatest heavyweight of all time.

Making that fight would not be fair to Francis, but it would get Stipe excited, and the fight would be a huge legacy fight. Will be interesting to see what the UFC decides to do.

UFC: Derrick Lewis – Curtis Blaydes to headline Fight Night on November 28th

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The UFC is finalizing a very important fight for the heavyweight division for November. Per Brett Okamoto, “The Black Beast” Derrick Lewis (24-7, 1 NC) will be taking on Curtis “Razor” Blaydes (14-2, 1 NC) on November 28th.

UFC Title Eliminator?

The fight between Blaydes and Lewis pairs together the UFC‘s second and fourth ranked contenders at heavyweight. UFC 252 saw Stipe Miocic retain his title, and now the dominoes in the division are starting to fall into place.

Derrick Lewis just became the heavyweight knockout king at UFC Vegas 6 with his stoppage over Alexey Oleynik. Lewis came out like a bat out of hell in the second round to stop Oleynik in 21 seconds.

The win was Lewis’ third straight win. Lewis also has wins over Ilir Latifi and Blagoy Ivanov in this winning streak. Lewis is one of the more popular fighters in the UFC, and you can bet fans are hoping he gets another crack at UFC gold one day.

A big road block stands in his way in Curtis Blaydes. Blaydes is coming off of a decision win over Alexander Volkov back in June at UFC on ESPN 11. It wasn’t the prettiest performance, but Blaydes got the job done.

The win was the fourth in a row for Blaydes. Since his UFC debut back in 2016, the only man to defeat Blaydes inside the octagon is current top contender, Francis Ngannou. Ngannou has stopped Blaydes twice.

The fight between Lewis and Blaydes will likely determine who will get a title shot in early 2021. It’s clear that Ngannou will get the next shot unless the UFC pivots to Jon Jones. Either way, the Lewis – Blaydes fight has massive title picture implications.

BREAKING: UFC light heavyweight champion, Jon Jones, vacates title

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UFC, Jon Jones

Earlier today, it was announced that the UFC was planning to have Dominick Reyes face Jan Blachowicz on September 26th. Many were wondering what that meant for the light heavyweight title.

Last week, Dana White said that the UFC would be having a light heavyweight title fight before the year was over. However, he didn’t say what that meant for Jon Jones. He said they were waiting to hear back. Well, the man himself just gave us our answer.

Bones going for the UFC’s heavyweight title?

It’s been clear for some time that Jon Jones was wanting to move up to the heavyweight division. There is really not a lot left for him to accomplish at 205 pounds. The only thing there would be the rematch with Dominick Reyes after many thought he lost to Reyes earlier this year.

However, the UFC‘s light heavyweight king seems to be ready to move on. I don’t believe he’s done because as of two days ago, Jones was very active on Twitter discussing his desire to compete for the heavyweight title. He made it clear that he wanted to fight Stipe Miocic after UFC 252.

Where do we go from here?

That is a very interesting question. White said in the post-fight press conference that Francis Ngannou was definitely next for the title. So does Francis still get the shot with Jones more than likely moving up?

That is a question that only the UFC knows the answer to. Obviously, there is no one more deserving of a heavyweight title shot than Ngannou. However, can the UFC turn down the opportunity to have the GOAT fight the heavyweight GOAT? Time will tell on this one.

UFC 252 Preview: Will Stipe Miocic or Daniel Cormier walk away as the heavyweight GOAT?

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Tomorrow night, UFC 252 will see the conclusion of arguably the greatest trilogy in the history of MMA. Stipe Miocic (19-3) and Daniel Cormier (22-2, 1 NC) will go to war for the third time to once and for all settle the debate on who is the greatest heavyweight in UFC history.

The card is absolutely stacked with fights that should have UFC fans feeling the goosebumps already. Let’s take a dive into the main card for some previews and predictions.

Stipe Miocic vs Daniel Cormier for the UFC heavyweight title

The main event of the evening is a fight that is one year in the making as the heavyweight champion, Stipe Miocic, takes on the former champion, Daniel Cormier, for the third time.

Both of these men have won a fight against the other by knockout. This fight will truly determine the greatest heavyweight in UFC history.

For Cormier, there has only been two men in his career who have gotten the best of him. That would be Miocic and Jon Jones. Jones beat him twice although one was overturned due to Jones failing a drug test.

After Jones was stripped of his title following the second fight being overturned, Cormier resumed life as light heavyweight champion. He defended the title once before moving up to challenge Miocic for the heavyweight title.

DC knocked Miocic out in the first round. He had become a two division champion. He’s defeated the best that light heavyweight and heavyweight have had to offer. However, he would go on to lose to Miocic in the rematch.

If Cormier were to lose again, the only two men to have ever beaten him, would have both done it multiple times. That will be tough for DC the competitor to take. The Olympic wrestler is one of the greatest fighters of all time, but he needs this win to cement himself.

Miocic is the only heavyweight in UFC history to defend the title three times successfully. Stipe had to work for everything during his career. After back-to-back knockouts of Mark Hunt and Andrei Arlovski back in 2015/2016, Miocic demanded he get a shot at the title.

He went to enemy territory and knocked out the champion, Fabricio Werdum. Miocic then went on to defeat Alistair Overeem, Junior Dos Santos, and Francis Ngannou before losing the title to Cormier at UFC 226.

The second fight was a back and forth war that DC was controlling. He was landing more strikes and found some success wrestling. However, Stipe made adjustments just like a champion should.

In the fourth round, Miocic found success going to the body. After going to the body over and over, Miocic was able to transition to a head combination that put DC out.

These are clearly the two best heavyweights in the world. They both have knockout power, they both have good grappling, and they both know how to grind and fight their way through wars.

This is just a tough fight to predict. Despite both men having finished the other, I don’t think this one is going to end early. I think this will be the first of their three fights to see the scorecards.

I believe that this fight is going to be razor close because these two men are so equal in their skill. If it does go to the cards, I’m leaning towards Cormier. Especially rounds 1-3, DC’s hand speed and wrestling will really give him an advantage.

I see Stipe being a lot stronger as the fight goes on, and I wouldn’t be surprised if Stipe ended up winning rounds 3-5. However, I think DC will do enough to take the first three rounds and survive the onslaught from Stipe near the end. DC will walk away as heavyweight champion on Saturday, but nothing would honestly shock me.

Prediction: Daniel Cormier by Split Decision

Sean O’Malley vs Marlon “Chito” Vera

The co-main event of the evening will feature the Suga Show. Arguably the UFC‘s brightest young star, Sean O’Malley (12-0), will be facing off against Chito Vera (15-6-1).

O’Malley was featured on just the second episode ever of Dana White’s Contender Series. That night, you realized there was something special about O’Malley. Since then, the guy has been like a rocket ship in terms of popularity.

2020 has been incredible for O’Malley. After issues with USADA that kept him out for two years, O’Malley has returned looking like a completely different fighter. He looks so much better than he did a couple of years ago.

His performances show that as he’s knocked out Jose Alberto Quinonez and Eddie Wineland both in the first round. Suga’s very long for the division and his striking is incredibly crisp.

We’ve also seen how tough he is when he fought Andre Soukhamthath. O’Malley broke his foot in that fight and couldn’t even stand. However he hopped around for the final round and gritted it out for a decision victory. O’Malley is the real deal.

Chito Vera is a very tough test for O’Malley. Vera is coming off of a loss to Song Yadong in a fight that some believe that he won. That fight snapped a five fight winning streak for Vera.

Chito has really good striking, and he’s got very good skills on the ground. One of the biggest knocks on Vera is his slow starts. Sometimes Vera can be a bit gun shy out of the gate.

That could be a massive problem fighting a guy like O’Malley. He cannot let himself stay on the outside being too patient or he will be picked apart. For Vera to win, he’s got to be aggressive early and he has to make it an ugly fight.

I’ve been on the O’Malley hype train since day one and I’m staying on it. I believe that O’Malley has that Conor McGregor vibe to him. While Vera will definitely be game, I think O’Malley’s precision and power are just going to be too much.

Prediction: Sean O’Malley by TKO – Round 2

Junior Dos Santos vs Jairzinho Rozenstruik

The third fight of the main card features two top six UFC heavyweights as former champion, Junior Dos Santos (21-7), takes on Jairzinho Rozenstruik (10-1).

This is a massive fight for the former champion, Dos Santos. Dos Santos has lost back-to-back fights by knockout. Those losses coming after Cigano had won three consecutive fights.

After losing the heavyweight title back in 2012, Dos Santos has been on a mission to get back to the UFC title. He’s fought for the title twice since losing it and both of those fights he lost by stoppage.

Since the first war with Cain Velasquez, Cigano has been finished five times. Despite that, Dos Santos still possesses arguably the best pure boxing in the heavyweight division.

For Bigi Boy, he’s looking to rebound after a rough first round loss to Francis Ngannou. Rozenstruik came into that fight undefeated, but was finished in just 20 seconds. Had Rozenstruik won that fight, he would have been next in line for the title.

Rozenstruik has tremendous striking with incredible knockout power. He also has shown tremendous heart as shown in the Alistair Overeem fight. Overeem had clearly been winning the fight, but Bigi Boy put him out in the final ten seconds of the fight.

This fight is so interesting because both men bring tremendous striking to the cage. Cigano has beautiful boxing while Rozenstruik has very good kickboxing.

Most people think that this fight won’t go the distance, but I’m in the minority that thinks it will. I think Rozenstruik will be a little more cautious after getting finished by Ngannou in his last one. I think Cigano’s boxing will allow him to score more points over three rounds.

Prediction: Junior Dos Santos by Unanimous Decision

John Dodson vs Merab Dvalishvili

The second fight of the evening pairs a couple of top 15 UFC bantamweights as former title challenger, John Dodson (21-11), takes on Merab Dvalishvili (11-4).

Dodson was able to prove to everyone in his last fight that he’s still a very powerful fighter at 135 pounds. The Magician got a third round TKO win over Nathaniel Wood. That win came after Dodson had lost three out of four.

Now, I will give Dodson a break considering those three opponents are all in the top seven and one is the current champion, Petr Yan. Dodson is going to come at you with ridiculous speed looking to put your lights out.

Dvalishvili on the other hand is going to look to take you down and smother you. The Machine is known for his dominant wrestling and that was on full display at UFC on ESPN 10.

Dvalishvili took on Gustavo Lopez and set a UFC bantamweight record in takedowns with 13. His main training partner is top contender Aljamain Sterling, so you know that Dvalishvili is going to be ready.

When it comes to the prediction, it’s a matter of where the fight takes place. The speed and accuracy of Dodson will win him the fight if he can keep it on the feet. That’s a giant if.

I think that Dvalishvili is going to be able to get Dodson down particularly in the last two rounds of the fight. I expect Dodson to have moments, but Dvalishvili’s wrestling to be too much in the end.

Prediction: Merab Dvalishvili by Unanimous Decision

Herbert Burns vs Daniel Pineda

Kicking off the main card of UFC 252 is a featherweight fight between Herbert Burns (11-2) and the returning Daniel Pineda (26-13, 2 NC). Pineda is returning to the octagon after six years of fighting in other promotions.

Burns, who is the younger brother of top welterweight contender Gilbert Burns, will be making his third appearance in the octagon. He earned himself a contract after a triangle armbar victory on Dana White’s Contender Series.

Burns has won his first two UFC fights by first round stoppage. One by KO and one by submission. The Blaze is elite on the ground just like his brother. Burns competes in top level Jiu Jitsu tournaments all over the world when he’s not fighting.

Daniel Pineda was having himself quite the 2019. Pineda entered PFL’s featherweight tournament and had two first round finishes. Elevated testosterone levels did change those two victories to non contests.

If you would have counted those, Pineda would have been returning to the octagon on a five fight first round finish streak. All 26 of Pineda’s wins have come via finish.

In looking at this fight, I’m struggling to find Pineda’s advantage. I don’t see him being the better striker, and he’s good on the ground (18 submissions), but he’s not Burns good. Burns is world class on the ground.

I think that Burns is going to have the clear advantage in this fight, and the odds speak to that. I’m going with Burns, but I think he’s going to win by showing off his superior skills on the ground.

Prediction: Herbert Burns by Submission (Rear-Naked Choke) – Round 2

UFC 252 Outlook

This main event and card gives me goosebumps just thinking about it. We are seeing arguably the two greatest heavyweights of all time fighting for the third time to settle once and for all, who is the baddest man on the planet. UFC 252 is going to be a night to remember for fight fans everywhere.

Francis Ngannou is waiting as UFC 252 draws closer

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Francis Ngannou

This Saturday night at UFC 252, perhaps the greatest trilogy in the promotions history comes to a head. Stipe Miocic and Daniel Cormier will go to battle for the third time. Both men have knocked the other out in the previous battles.

The fight has been characterized by Dana White as the fight to settle who is the greatest heavyweight in UFC history. While both men battle for that distinction, the most intimidating heavyweight in UFC history is patiently waiting in the wings.

The UFC’s Predator awaits his chance

In terms of resume, Cormier and Miocic are head and shoulders above the pack when it comes to being the best heavyweight. However, when it comes to intimidation, nobody is more terrifying than Francis Ngannou (15-3).

When Ngannou fights, it’s like watching a prime Mike Tyson. Everyone is on the edge of their seat with their eyes glued open. Don’t blink because he might remove someone from consciousness in that one blink.

Don’t believe me, ask former UFC heavyweight champions Junior Dos Santos, Cain Velasquez and Andrei Arlovski. Or ask top UFC contenders Curtis Blaydes, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, and Alistair Overeem.

Incredible list of opponents right? Even more impressive when you consider the fact that Ngannou knocked all six of those men out in the first round. Not a single one of those UFC contests went past two minutes.

That is incredibly terrifying to think about. Now, Ngannou is not perfect as we saw in his fights with Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis. He dropped both of those by decision. I’m giving him a break on the Lewis fight because he just looked defeated after the Miocic fight.

Ngannou has never been better

Ngannou is even more dangerous now than ever before because he realizes his vulnerability. He realizes there is danger in fighting and a fighter who understands danger can become even more dangerous.

Ngannou is on a stretch right now where he’s 4-0 with four first round knockouts. Those fights have gone a combined 2:42. The Predator is the clear number one contender in the UFC‘s heavyweight division.

No matter what the result is on Saturday, the next title shot should belong to Francis Ngannou. Whether Ngannou fights Miocic again or he fights Jon Jones or Derrick Lewis for the vacant championship after the winner retires. Regardless of who, The Predator is ready for his next shot at UFC gold.

 

UFC: Ben Rothwell – Marcin Tybura targeted for October 10th

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Ben Rothwell

The UFC has been working hard over the last couple of weeks to set their schedule for the rest of 2020. Dana White said that once he returned from Fight Island it would be time to work.

We’ve seen a bunch of fights get announced recently and there’s another contest in the works. According to multiple reports, Ben Rothwell (38-12) will be taking on Marcin Tybura (19-6). Both men come into the contest off back-to-back wins.

Big Ben’s UFC Journey

Nearly 11 years ago, Big Ben Rothwell made his UFC debut. He had a ton of hype behind him as he entered the contest 14-1 in his last 15 fights. However, the UFC gave him Cain Velasquez in his debut who proceeded to maul Rothwell.

Since then, Rothwell has gone 8-5 in 13 fights in the UFC. He went on a four fight winning streak which included wins over Alistair Overeem, Matt Mitrione, and Josh Barnett. Rothwell looked to be a win or two away from a title shot.

The UFC paired him against former champion, Junior Dos Santos. Rothwell would drop that fight by unanimous decision before sitting out for nearly three years due to suspension issues.

Big Ben returned last year and dropped two straight. However, Rothwell finished Stefan Struve back in December and took a split decision against Ovince St. Pruex to get back on track this year. He hopes to make it three in a row in October.

Marcin Tybura lost two and a row in 2019 just like Rothwell. Also like Rothwell, Tybura has bounced back with two consecutive wins this year. The Polish heavyweight has been in there with top guys like former champion, Fabricio Werdum.

Tybura will make the walk on October 10th at 6-5 in his UFC career. Both of these men are looking to break back into the top 15 of the heavyweight division. A win for either would mean three straight which could do the trick.

Alexander Volkov – Walt Harris booked for UFC 254

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Alexander Volkov, UFC

UFC 254 has added a big time heavyweight clash featuring two guys in the top ten as Alexander Volkov (31-8) will be taking on Walt Harris (13-8).

Both Volkov and Harris fought in the first two months that the UFC was back in production. Both men lost their first fights of 2020. Harris and Volkov will be looking to use this contest as a bounce back to head towards to top five.

Big UFC heavyweight implications

The heavyweight division in the UFC is in an interesting state at the moment. Daniel Cormier and Stipe Miocic will conclude their trilogy for the heavyweight title in a couple of weeks at UFC 252.

Both men could walk away from the sport after UFC 252. Right behind them the division has a clear number one contender in Francis Ngannou. Ngannou has won four consecutive fights by first round knockout.

After Ngannou, there’s a wide open field of contenders. Two of those contenders are Harris and Volkov.

Walt Harris had one of the most difficult years anyone could go through over the last twelve months. He made his emotional return to the octagon back in May against Alistair Overeem.

Harris looked like he was going to close the show in the first, but a game Overeem survived. Harris began to tire and Overeem was able to get the finish in the second round. This fight is a big chance for Harris to right the ship.

Back in 2018, Volkov was perhaps a victory away from a UFC title shot. Actually, he was about 11 seconds away from a potential title shot. That’s when Derrick Lewis landed a massive bomb which knocked Volkov out after Volkov dominated the fight.

Volkov bounced back in 2019 with a win over Greg Hardy, but then fall short against Curtis Blaydes back in June. The Russian had some bright spots in the fight, but a steady wrestling onslaught was his downfall.

This fight is so much fun and it’s so interesting. Harris is a very fast starter who looks to finish the fight early while Volkov likes to use his shots to fatigue his opponents. I think a finish is likely in this fight. If it’s early, I expect Harris to win. Later rounds, I’m going with Volkov. It’s a fun one in the heavyweight division.

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.