“I think this guy is really smart” – Ciryl Gane is not taking Derrick Lewis lightly

“I think this guy is really smart” – Ciryl Gane is not taking Derrick Lewis lightly

Ciryl Gane and Derrick Lewis

Ciryl Gane has had a rapid rise in the UFC. The Frenchman made his debut just two years ago and is now one step away from a title. ‘Bon Gamin’ will face Derrick Lewis on the 7th of August, next month at UFC 265 for the interim heavyweight title. He is currently unbeaten in his MMA career, with 9 wins and no losses.

Ciryl Gane, recently beat Alexander Volkov a couple of weeks ago via. unanimous decision which earned him the right to challenge for the heavyweight title. Lewis, on the other hand, is ranked number 2 in the heavyweight rankings, and is currently on a four-fight win streak.

With the fight hardly a month away, Gane spoke to Brett Okamoto of ESPN in a long interview where he discussed a myriad of topics. When asked about how he viewed Derrick Lewis as an opponent, Gane acknowledged ‘The Black Beast’s power and smartness.

“He has power and knows when to use it” – Ciryl Gane

YouTube video

Gane was quoted as saying, “I think this guy is really smart. Some people like to say, ‘he’s not really technical, he’s not the smart guy,’ and other things. Yes, we know, he is not really well-rounded, we know that he doesn’t have too much skills, but he has this [power] and he knows it. And he knows when he can use that.” [h/t firstsportz]

Gane has currently won 6 fights in the UFC. He also has notable wins over the dangerous Jairzinho Rozenstruik and more recently Alexander Volkov. A win against Lewis would earn him a title shot against his former training partner, Francis Ngannou. The pair were sparring partners for a while during their time at MMA Factory Gym in Paris.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9CNmCDgIIw

As for Lewis, this will be his second title shot. He previously fought Daniel Cormier for the heavyweight title at UFC 230, which he eventually lost (due to submission). He is currently 36 now, and will be looking forward to stopping the Frenchman, come the 7th of August.

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