UFC Paris: Accor Arena; Paris, France
There are just times when an athlete “should win”. It’s called a “Hollywood Story or a Cinderella Ending”. The UFC was not the first major MMA organization to come to the City of Love. That was Bellator. But with the UFC roster and Ciryl Gane in particular, they gave it a better showing. And now Gane looks sharp again after flooring Tai Tuivasa.
And it’s not like it was a white wash. Well sort of. “Bam Bam” came to throw down and did. Even getting a flash knockdown in the second round. And from there the extremely patient 32-year old Frenchman was even more locked in.
His footwork and movement were as they usually were, but his counter striking has improved from the last time he was in the octagon. And his game plan was spot on. Taking it to the big Australian’s body slowed him down to where his head was wide open.
The third-round knockout at 4:23 ended an impressive streak for Tuivasa of five straight wins all via knockout. Gane’s jaw continued to improve as well. There’s no doubt that Francis Ngannou hits harder than Tuivasa; but Gane was smart early to stay outside to avoid playing with fire.
Gane Looks Sharp Again, And Has Resumed His Title Hunt
With the heavyweight debut of Jon Jones things will begin to get very interesting at heavyweight. It’s a good problem for Dana White to have. Too many roosters in the hen house. For as good as Gane has looked against everyone, including a few minutes against Ngannou, it’s still very much up in the air how he’d do against “Bones” and Stipe Miocic.
Miocic still has knockout power, and can wrestle better than Ngannou. At least in this fight we never got a chance to see if Gane has improved there like his patience and counters have. And as far as Jones is concerned, many still look at him as the MMA G.O.A.T. If the released video’s of Jones are showing the full story, his heavyweight run might just be even scarier than his at 205.
Can Gane take either out? Sure. He’d be faster than Miocic and can pick him apart from the outside till the times right to come in. And this version of Jones despite the tools will be slower than his 24-year old version. Tuivasa has a rock jaw so against either of those two, Gane will have to do even more work than he did on this night. He may need to rely on grappling, or at least using any type of speed advantage.
If he is granted a title shot next (we’ve seen crazier things happen); Ngannou sitting cage-side no doubt took notes.
But it again would be a coinflip fight. Strength and power versus being well rounded and disciplined. Either way, YOU can’t say you wouldn’t watch that fight if it happened right now.
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