Home/UFC

UFC heavyweight prospect Ciryl Gane made a huge impact in the main card opener for UFC 256 against Junior Dos Santos. The Frenchman earned a TKO at 02:34 of the second round and put away the former champion with relative ease. Gane had a long lay-off with several cancelations in the middle of 2020 and he’ll be pleased with a high-profile win.

The 7-0 Thai boxing specialist utilized masterful distance management that was brought into play with leg kicks. Additionally, Dos Santos remained in an upright boxing stance that prevented any effective blocking of the kicking assault. Chiefly, the finishing sequence came right off a jab the rocked ‘JDS’ and Ciryl Gane put him away.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Furthermore, there was some controversy with the finishing sequence as Gane connected a short elbow that landed at the back of the head. Junior Dos Santos complained about the stoppage as the replay was brought forth. However, as ‘JDS’ was moving away from the strike and had his back virtually turned, the elbow was largely legitimized.

UFC heavyweights: Junior Dos Santos vs Ciryl Gane

There was plenty of chatter online regarding the aforementioned heavyweight bout and the somewhat controversial finish. The general consensus was that Dos Santos’ backward movement ended up being his downfall. MMA pundit Luke Thomas took to social media and chimed in on the finish that had everyone talking.

What’s more, UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya was dialed into the top-tier striking that Ciryl Gane displayed. ‘The Last Stylebender’ gave a massive shout-out to the surging heavyweight star who has a well defined stand-up arsenal.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Moreover, his versatility for his massive frame could take him to high places as a divisional elite.

ADVERTISEMENT

Article continues below this ad

Chiefly, Ciryl Gane is now tied for the longest active win streak in the division with 4 wins. He’s in the leagues with Francis Ngannou and Curtis Blaydes, who are title contenders at the top of the heap. With a strong striking and grappling game, the ceiling for Gane is extremely high and he’ll look towards a title opportunity in the near future.

What did you make of his fight against the former heavyweight champion?