Ciryl Gane is the first to admit he failed against Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou, but he did well to repair his image against Serghei Spivac on Saturday. Gane used Spivac as a canvas to paint a masterpiece for his hometown Paris crowd.
Gane's reputation as arguably the most skillful striker in heavyweight history had been overshadowed by the structural integrity of his wrestling. Gane had given up six of seven takedowns combined against Jones and Ngannou in two failed bids for the UFC heavyweight title. Paired against Spivac -- the most accurate takedown artist in UFC heavyweight history -- Gane rose to the occasion.
BON GAMIN DOES IT AGAIN!@Ciryl_Gane with another knockout in a #UFCParis main event 👊🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/sZgOs3cdEp
— UFC (@ufc) September 2, 2023
Gane passed the early takedown test, using a heavy sprawl to neutralize Spivac's A-Game. The mobile heavyweight flummoxed Spivac with footwork, angles and an early investment in body strikes. A confused and weathered Spivac could not endure Gane's offensive onslaught for two full rounds. Referee Marc Goddard waved off the fight in Round 2 as Spivac shelled up by the cage.
"We f---ed up twice: Jon Jones, Francis," Gane said in his post-fight interview with Michael Bisping. "My mission, whoever it is, is to go forward. I failed to get the belt. My mission is to get the belt."
The next step towards a heavyweight title likely runs through fellow contender Tom Aspinall. The Londoner is on the verge of a heavyweight title shot and flew down to Paris with the intention of challenging Saturday's winner. The UFC heavyweight title will be contested at UFC 295 in November as Jon Jones defends his newly won title against former champion Stipe Miocic. Top contender Sergei Pavlovich will serve as back-up for the UFC 295 main event.
