After losing a title fight against Jon Jones in March, Ciryl Gane is all set to make his return to the UFC this weekend at UFC Paris against Serghei Spivac. UFC 285 was touted as the return of the great Jon Jones to the octagon following various off-the-field controversies, and the big man delivered by finishing Gane in the very first round of their 5-round title fight. There were many of the opinion that Gane had obvious holes in his game, including ‘The Eagle’ Khabib Nurmagomedov.
The holes in Gane’s game referred to his inability to wrestle at the highest level, which Jones exploited with ease. Bones took Gane down within a minute of the first round and proceeded to submit him. The whole fight lasted a mere 2:04 minutes, much to the ecstasy of Jones’ supporters and the dismay of Gane. The loss resulted in Gane having a dismal record in title fights, which stands at 0-2, having previously lost against Ngannou in contention for UFC gold in 2022.
JON JONES SUBMITS CIRYL GANE TO BECOME THE HW CHAMPION 👀🐏!!
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.#UFC #UFC285 #UFCVegas285 #JonJones #JonjonesvsCyrilGane #CyrilGane #Bones #Trending #MMA pic.twitter.com/y5XPSq3Rp2— Daily Sports Home (@dailysporthome) March 5, 2023
But is there something Gane can do to solidify his chances at a title in the future? Khabib certainly thinks so.
Khabib Nurmagomedov urged Ciryl Gane to learn to wrestle
As Ciryl Gane looks to get back to winning ways on home soil, we are reminded of Khabib’s words of wisdom for him in the buildup against Jones. During his preparation for the title fight at UFC 285, Khabib had an interesting proposition for the Frenchman. The Dagestani champion implored Gane to train with him in Dagestan, where he would learn how to wrestle.
“Ciryl Gane, come to Dagestan brother. He have to come to Dagestan, stay there [and] learn how to wrestle [and] learn how to [defend]. After a couple of years, he can be champion,” said Khabib. Those words remain true to this day as Gane looks to take on the Moldovan Spivac in Paris. If the former interim heavyweight champion harbors any hope of relaunching his campaign for a title in the future, it is imperative that he get his affairs in order as far as wrestling is concerned.
Will @Ciryl_Gane add to his impressive CV this Saturday at #UFCParis!? pic.twitter.com/F8Z0QaBd3T
— UFC Europe (@UFCEurope) August 31, 2023
Concerning his attitude in his fight against Spivac, it can be said that the Frenchman is fired up to put on a great performance for the home fans. “I just hope this weekend I’m going to do a masterclass as we say. A perfect performance, and I’m going to do my best for that… I just want to finish the fight before the end, and the fans, I think, are going to be happy about that,” said Gane when inquired about his upcoming fight.
Do you guys think Gane can come out on top this weekend? Let us know.