Ciryl Gane should wait to ascend the UFC heavyweight throne. The Frenchman was crushed by unanimous determination by Francis Ngannou this weekend in California. What did he miss to dethrone the Cameroonian? RMC Sport reviewed the fight to investigate it.
First two rounds like in a dream or nearly
Many observers had made a prediction: if Ciryl Gane got here out of the primary two rounds intact, with out having seen the ability of Francis Ngannou flip off the sunshine, he was going to have the ability to sail till a victory on determination. He did higher than that. At the top of the 2 preliminary rounds, which did not do good publicity for the English boxing wishes of the “Predator”, “Bon Gamin” is within the lead 2-0 on two out of three judges' playing cards (and on these of virtually everybody watching the fight). Not very spectacular, however devilishly efficient.
Intelligent, on the transfer, typically with a karateka-fencing posture providing few putting zones to the Cameroonian, who thus couldn't handle to slot in, the Frenchman prevented staying in entrance of his rival, managing to frustrate him with his dodges, whereas chopping into its bodily capital. Not to say a pleasant job with the entrance arm and the entrance leg. Only drawback? He could not have tried to harm sufficient on the finish of the rounds, particularly within the second, when a wide-open mouth Ngannou appeared to lack vitality. But he did what he needed to do. “It was a good performance”, launched Gane on the finish of the fight. He is correct. But what occurred subsequent modified that…
The turning level of the third spherical, an error from the Gane nook?
While his colt leads 2-0, Fernand Lopez sends a message to Ciryl Gane earlier than the third spherical: “Send high or middle kicks to open your hands”. Results? On the primary excessive entrance kick (excessive kick ahead) despatched by the Vendéen, Ngannou grabs his leg and turns it within the air to crush it to the bottom, the primary takedown (dropped at the bottom) suffered by Gane since his beginnings. The turning level of the fight. Much extra snug in wrestling than many imagined, the Cameroonian started an enormous undermining work on the bottom. That he'll proceed till the top, in a mode that has led to some comparisons on social networks with Khabib Nurmagomedov (the previous undefeated light-weight champion) or the phenomenon Khamzat Chimaev, however which is very paying homage to Kamaru Usman, the champion of welters, with whom he works and who was nonetheless in his nook this weekend.
Ngannou had simply discovered the important thing to victory. “We were ready for that”, launched the Frenchman after the fight. But confronted with the ability of his opponent, who solely hurts in his punch, he couldn't discover the answer. Difficult regardless of every little thing responsible his coach – who had additionally instructed him to “put the volume of blows to asphyxiate him”, which appeared in settlement with the tiredness of the reigning champion – who couldn't think about that his instruction would give such a outcomes. But we discover ourselves imagining what may have occurred if Gane hadn't despatched this excessive entrance kick. Could he have signed one other spherical much like the primary two, which might have assured him victory and the title? Possible. But nothing ensures that both. With if…
Could the heel key of the fifth have given the victory to Gane?
Injured within the knee a couple of weeks earlier than the fight, Ngannou used this argument to justify partially his option to deliver the fight to the bottom. It was additionally dictated by circumstances and Gane's putting efficiency within the first two rounds. Good choose. Facing a fighter not skilled sufficient in his floor protection, the Cameroonian feasted – extra takedowns and floor management time (4 and eight'29”) than in his first 13 fights within the UFC… cumulated (one and three'04”) – and even provided himself some technical sweet, just like the ultra-clean reversal within the fifth spherical the place he regained the dominant place over his opponent. A closing restoration additionally marked by the heel key tried by Gane.
“We were on the verge of hitting him,” mentioned the latter. On the pictures, Ngannou by no means appears near giving up. Because the important thing was not locked properly sufficient, particularly on the stage of the opposing knee, and lacked leverage, making the factor very sophisticated. But tough responsible her, given the shortage of vitality and lucidity evident on the time of the fight the place she arrived. It additionally appeared to be a considerably determined gesture to overturn the desk, maybe the consequence of Lopez's speech earlier than this final spherical: “We are behind, it is impossible for us to lose because of the cardio”, a reference in all probability unconscious the way in which his former protege… Ngannou misplaced his first shot on the heavyweight belt to Stipe Miocic in January 2018.
“Bon Gamin” could be pleased with him, and he'll come again stronger
“There's a frustration because most people do to him get knockouts and I've shown I can do things.” No one had ever misplaced within the determination against Ngannou, a knockout machine. But Gane held on till the top, valiant. He was nonetheless within the race for the victory within the fifth spherical and will have gone for it. He could be pleased with himself, particularly with such a meteorite profession (do not forget that he fought his first skilled fight three and a half years in the past and began fight sports activities seven years in the past). Known for his capacity to rapidly assimilate and never repeat the identical errors, “Bon Gamin” will study from his defeat and are available again stronger. As a sure Ngannou has achieved since his title loss to Miocic in 2018.
“Training time,” mentioned Gane on his return to France on Monday. We would guess dearly on the truth that he'll win this title sooner or later. Saturday evening in California, he simply fell on more durable…for now. “They did what had to be done to beat me,” he admits. Before this shock, Fernand Lopez had repeated “knowing well” his former pupil. Who had replied that he not knew him three years after the top of their collaboration. Questions surrounding this fight have typically revolved across the former relationship between Lopez and Ngannou. They ought to in all probability have centered extra on the one between the Cameroonian and Eric Nicksick, his coach at Xtreme Couture MMA in Las Vegas, who knew completely alter the mechanics – psychological in addition to technical – of the heavyweight champion.