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UFC heavyweight contender Ciryl Gane has landed a critical notch in his belt. Ciryl Gane, the budding UFC star? Maybe not so much.
Gane completely controlled Jairzinho Rozenstruik in a one-sided, unanimous decision victory (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) at the UFC Fight Night main event on Saturday in Las Vegas. But a lack of aggression and his conservative strategy could work against Gane when it comes to future UFC matchmaking.
“I’m not doing a big show for the fans,” Gane said in his post-fight interview. “I had a big win so I’m really happy for that. The guy was really tough. I just wanted to manage, and I did.”
No, Gane didn’t have the final blow that will go viral on social media. He also didn’t engage in the kind of back-and-forth warfare that might make him a box office favorite. But he remained undefeated in the UFC against one of the best heavyweights in the world, showing his continued trajectory as a legitimate prospect.
With the win, Gane became the seventh fighter in the UFC’s heavyweight division to start 5-0, according to ESPN Stats & Information data. Four of the first six fighters who did so went on to become the UFC heavyweight champion. Gane has the longest active winning streak in the UFC heavyweight division (5).
Arriving, ESPN had Rozenstruik ranked No.4 in the world in heavyweight, with Gane ranked No.8. Gane will certainly make a big jump in the rankings, but it’s unclear what that will mean in a crowded top of the league. division. The French fighter himself blamed Rozenstruik for his lack of action.
“I expected a little more from him – more attack,” Gane said. “I was a little surprised for that.”
It might not have been limitless excitement in your seat, but Gane’s performance was impressive on its own. He showed poise and calm, staying on the outside and parting Rozenstruik with long kicks to the legs and body. On a few occasions Gane floundered with great combinations and quickly withdrew, staying away from Rozenstruik’s great power. But those blitzes inside were rare for Gane, who clearly wanted to be cautious.
Rozenstruik has been largely canceled. He landed a big combination in the third and a few hard left hooks here and there. but nothing mattered. Gane’s excellent kicks and management of spacing were the reason. It was extremely effective, although that won’t necessarily encourage fans to tune in to watch it next time around.
The card took place with COVID-19 protocols adopted at UFC Apex, a facility across from the UFC corporate campus. It was the third UFC event this month with a heavyweight contender fight.
Gane (8-0) has become one of the best prospects in all of MMA, and this performance will take him from prospect to bona fide candidate. He is now 5-0 in the UFC with three finishes. Gane, 30, had just picked up a second-round TKO victory over former UFC Junior heavyweight champion dos Santos at UFC 256 in December. Gane is training in France under Fernand Lopez, the former head coach of UFC top heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou, who is due to fight Stipe Miocic for the UFC 260 title on March 27.
Rozenstruik (11-2) was also coming off a TKO second round victory over dos Santos at UFC 252 in August. The Suriname native has won five of seven fights in the UFC. His only career loss before Saturday came to Ngannou by KO in May at UFC 249. Rozenstruik, 32, has 10 KO / TKOs in 11 career wins. He’s a former kickboxer champion.
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