UFC heavyweight rival Ciryl Gane caught a critical notch in his belt. Ciryl Gane, the fledgling UFC star? Maybe not so much.
Gane completely controlled Jairzinho Rozenstruik in a one-sided, unanimous victory (50-45, 50-45, 50-45) in the main UFC Fight Night event on Saturday in Las Vegas. But his lack of aggression and conservative strategy could work against Gane when it comes to future UFC clashes.
“I don’t do a great show for fans,” Gane said in his post-fight interview. “I got a big win, so I’m very happy about that. The guy was very tough. I just wanted to manage it and I did.”
No, Gane did not get the knockout of featured reels that will go viral on social media. He also didn’t participate in the kind of back-and-forth war that could make him a box office favorite. But he remained undefeated in the UFC against one of the world’s top heavyweights, showing his continued trajectory as a legitimate prospect.
With the win, Gane became the seventh fighter in the UFC heavyweight division to start 5-0, according to ESPN Stats & Information. Four of the first six fighters to do so became UFC heavyweight champions. Gane has the longest active winning streak in the UFC Heavyweight Division (five).
For its part, ESPN managed to get Rozenstruik ranked No. 4 in the world in heavyweight, and No. 8 in Gane, Gane will make a big leap in the rankings, but it is unclear what this would mean at a top of the division. The French fighter himself blamed Rozenstruik for the lack of action.
“I expected a little more from him, more attack,” Gane said. “I was a little surprised at that.”
It might not have been a thrill on the edge of your seat, but Gane’s performance was impressive in itself. He showed calmness and tranquility, stayed outside and separated Rozenstruik with long kicks in his legs and body. A few times, Gane came in with great combinations and quickly withdrew, staying away from Rozenstruik’s great power. But those bubbles inside were scarce for Gane, who clearly wanted to be careful.
Rozenstruik was largely canceled. He got a great combination on the third and some hard left hooks here and there, but nothing mattered. Gane’s excellent stitching and spacing management were the reason. It was extremely effective, even if it won’t necessarily excite fans to tune in to see it next time.
The card took place with the COVID-19 protocols enacted at the UFC Apex, a facility located next to the UFC corporate campus. It was the third UFC event this month, led by a fight against the heavyweights.
Gane (8-0) came in as one of the top prospects in all of MMA, and this performance will take him from candidate to candidate in good faith. He is now 5-0 in the UFC with three finishes. Gane, 30, won a second-round TKO against former UFC Junior Heavyweight Champion Junior at Santos UFC 256 in December. Gane trains in France under the direction of Fernand Lopez, former coach of UFC top heavyweight candidate Francis Ngannou, who will have to fight Stipe Miocic for the UFC 260 title on March 27th.
Rozenstruik (11-2) also won a TKO victory in the second round against two Saints at UFC 252 in August. The Suriname native has won five of seven fights in the UFC. His only professional defeat before Saturday came against Ngannou by a playoff in May at UFC 249. Rozenstruik, 32, has 10 KO / TKO finishes in 11 professional victories. He is a former kickboxer champion.