LAS VEGAS – With Ciryl Gane breaking into heavyweight contention, a matchup with a former teammate could be on the horizon.
Gane (7-0 MMA, 4-0- UFC) remained unbeaten when he stopped former heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos at UFC 256, and now finds himself in the upper echelon of the heavyweight division a little more than two years into his pro MMA career.
“Bon Gamin,” who’s known for his phrase “Anyone, anywhere,” is not one to call people out. But when Francis Ngannou’s name was brought to him, Gane said he’d be willing to fight him – under one condition.
“I think if the UFC does this, please do this for the belt. That’s it,” Gane told reporters, including MMA Junkie, at the UFC 256 post-fight news conference. “Because, you understand, we’re from the same gym, the same coach.”
Both men have trained under the tutelage of head coach Fernand Lopez at MMA Factory in Paris, which explains why Gane wouldn’t be too keen on facing Ngannou (15-3 MMA, 10-2 UFC) unless there were big implications.
Ngannou is projected to challenge UFC heavyweight champ Stipe Miocic in the first quarter of 2021 and, if Ngannou reaches the heavyweight summit and Gane’s upward trajectory continues, the biggest fight in French MMA history could potentially only be a few fights away.