The Frenchman tries for the second time in his career to seize the UFC heavyweight belt. To do this, he will have to beat the American on Saturday, considered the best fighter in history.
by Anthony Hernandez
Are sports exploits always appreciated at their fair value? Saturday March 4 (around 6 am Paris, Sunday), Ciryl Gane on the occasion of making one in size against the American Jon Jones, considered the best fighter in the history of mixed martial arts ( Mma). In the T-Mobile Arena de Las Vegas (Nevada), the one we call “good kid” will try to win the UFC heavyweight title. A feat that no French has never achieved.
Even more than the acquisition of the prestigious belt, it is the profile of his evening opponent who will give shine to performance. “If I beat Jones, I will be the first to beat him, Volor Gane in an interview with RMC Sport . A victory would be a hell of a leap in my career. Faced with Jones, it would bring even more pleasure and recognition.”
If it is the first experience of the American in heavy goods vehicles, the one, now 35 years old, has a breathtaking career in the heavy-lighter category. Between 2008 and 2020, he was never beaten regularly in the octagon. He totaled 26 victories out of 28 fights disputed: he was disqualified for prohibited blows while he largely dominated his compatriot Matt Hamill; In 2017, his victory by K.-O. During his fight against Daniel Cormier was modified a posteriori into “without decision” due to a positive control to steroids.
In 2011, Jone Jones had become the youngest champion in UFC history. Since then, he has terrorized competition and impressed during his multiple fights to keep the belt. “It is considered the Goat [the” Greatest of All Time “, an honorary title that feeds debates in each popular sport in the United States]”, summarizes Aldric Cassata, MMA coach of Boxing Squad, in Nice. Former university champion of Greco-Roman struggle, the native of Rochester, in New York State, is renowned for the quality of his struggle.
An area which is precisely the weak point of French. Ciryl Gane comes from Muay Thai, Thai boxing, and prefers to use percussion techniques with fists, feet, knees or elbows rather than going to the ground. A deficiency identified by his coach, Fernand Lopez, after the defeat on January 22, 2022 against Cameroonian Francis Ngannou, during the first good kid for the heavy belt. “I had promised that he was going to fight, and he pulled it up,” said the coach. The Daghestani Shamil Gaziev, fighter of MMA, and the wrestler Franco-Cechechene Zelimkhan Umkhadjiev helped him to perfect this area.
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