Ciryl Gane Becomes the Interim Heavyweight Champion With a TKO Win Over Derrick Lewis at UFC 265

Ciryl Gane took on Derrick Lewis for the interim belt at UFC 265. When the fight was first announced, it received a lot of flak from both fans and pundits alike, as the UFC snubbed an active Francis Ngannou to set up an interim title fight.

This was the second time that Lewis fought for UFC gold. The first time did not go his way as Daniel Cormier stopped him at UFC 230. For Gane, this was his first time competing for UFC gold, and it is safe to say that he passed with flying colors, stopping ‘The Black Beast’ in round three. 

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Ciryl Gane secures UFC gold for France, MMA Factory Paris, and Fernand Lopez

The fight started as most expected. Gane came out strong and was good at maintaining the distance. He used his leg kicks well to keep Lewis at a distance and also slow down his movement. ‘The Black Beast’, as he usually does, started off slowly, and by the end of round one, he was substantially behind Gane. 

More of the same followed in rounds two and three. Gane landed at will and picked Lewis apart. The finishing sequence saw Gane land a devastating leg kick that buckled Lewis. ‘Bon Gamin’ then piled on the pressure and landed an unending barrage of punches. One such punch dropped ‘The Black Beast’ to the floor. ‘Bon Gamin’, sensing the opportunity, pounced on him and landed shots from on top. Referee Dan Miragliotta gave Lewis plenty of chances to continue, but eventually, he was forced to call the fight towards the end of round three. 

With the win, Gane has now extended his win streak to a perfect 10-0. As the interim champion, he will face former teammate and current heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou in a title unification bout. Ngannou famously parted ways with Fernand Lopez and MMA factory to train with Eric Nicksick at Xtreme Couture MMA. 

The Ngannou vs Gane fight will be an extremely interesting bout between two of the best heavyweights, with a history behind them.

What did you make of Ciryl Gane’s performance at UFC 265? Do you think he can secure a win against Francis Ngannou? Let us know in the comments below!