Ciryl Gane, the UFC heavyweight contender, achieved a critical notch in his belt. UFC star Ciryl Gane? Maybe not so much.
Gane completely controlled Jairzinho Rozenstruik in the unilateral victory by unanimous decision (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) in the main fight at UFC Fight Night on Saturday in Las Vegas. But the lack of aggression and his conservative strategy can work against Gane when it comes to future UFC matches.
“I don’t do a really big show for the fans,” said Gane in his post-fight interview. “I got a big win, so I’m really happy about it. The guy was very difficult. I just wanted to manage and I did it.”
No, Gane did not get the highlight knockout that will go viral on social media. Nor did he get involved in the kind of back-and-forth war that could make him a box office favorite. But he was undefeated in the UFC against one of the biggest heavyweights in the world, showing his continued trajectory as a legitimate prospect.
With the victory, Gane became the seventh fighter in the UFC heavyweight division from 5 to 0, according to data from ESPN Stats & Information. Four of the first six fighters who did so became UFC heavyweight champions. Gane has the longest winning streak in the UFC heavyweight division (five).
Entering, ESPN had Rozenstruik ranked No. 4 in the heavyweight world, with Gane ranked No. 8. Gane will certainly make a big leap in the ranking, but it is unclear what this will mean in a crowded division top. The French fighter himself blamed Rozenstruik for the lack of action.
“I expected a little more from him – more attack,” said Gane. “I was a little surprised by that.”
It may not have been an extreme emotion, but Gane’s performance was impressive in itself. He showed posture and calm, staying outside and separating Rozenstruik with long kicks in the legs and body. Sometimes, Gane moved forward with great combinations and quickly retreated, away from Rozenstruik’s great power. But these internal blitzes were few and far between for Gane, who clearly wanted to be cautious.
Rozenstruik was largely overturned. He hit a great combination on the third and a few rigid left hooks here and there, but nothing was significant. Gane’s excellent kick and spacing management were the reason. It was extremely effective, even if it doesn’t necessarily excite fans to tune in to watch it next time.
The card occurred with the COVID-19 protocols promulgated at UFC Apex, an installation in front of the UFC corporate campus. It was the third UFC event this month led by a heavyweight fight.
Gane (8-0) arrived as one of the best prospects in the entire MMA, and this performance will take him from a candidate to a candidate to a legitimate candidate. He is now 5-0 in the UFC, with three submissions. Gane, 30, came from a second round TKO win over former UFC heavyweight champion Junior dos Santos at UFC 256 in December. Gane trains in France under the command of Fernand Lopez, the former head coach of UFC mainstream heavyweight contender Francis Ngannou, who is set to fight Stipe Miocic for the title at UFC 260 on March 27.
Rozenstruik (11-2) also came from a second round technical knockout victory over Santos at UFC 252 in August. Suriname won five of the seven fights in the UFC. His only career loss before Saturday was against Ngannou via knockout in May at UFC 249. Rozenstruik, 32, has 10 KO / TKO submissions in 11 career wins. He is a former kickboxer champion.