Despite Derrick Lewis having the sort of power that can fell a bull, Ciryl Gane does not feel the American is his most dangerous opponent yet. Instead, the honor of the most threatening foe he’s faced yet goes to his previous opponent Alexander Volkov.
Ciryl Gane isn’t as threatened by Derrick Lewis’ power as you might expect
The UFC 265 headliner, and interim heavyweight title challenger, was recently asked if the second-ranked “Black Beast” is the most dangerous opponent he has ever faced. Since the 36-year-old has scored 20 knockouts in his 25 wins. However, when rating Octagon dangers, the undefeated Frenchman scores higher for the variety and skill of a threat, more so than brute force. And in his mind, the physical gifts and technique of his UFC Vegas 30 opponent Volkov gave him a greater reason for pause than what expects from Lewis on August 7.
“No. I don’t think so,” Gane told TMZ when asked if Lewis is his most dangerous opponent yet. “I think Volkov was more dangerous than him. Volkov was more well-rounded. He was taller, heavier, and more technical than him. Yes, he has this bomb [in his right hand], but if I can counter that he’s going to do nothing more.”
Gane (9-0) heads into his bout with Lewis (25-7) on a six-fight Octagon win streak and ranked at third in the division. He defeated Volkov by unanimous decision in a five-round main event inside the UFC Apex in Las Vegas, Nevada last month.
Lewis has won four consecutive fights — with the last two by KO — in route to his second opportunity at UFC gold.
UFC 265 takes place on August 7, inside the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. The preliminary portion of the card will begin at 6 pm ET on ESPN and streaming service ESPN+. The main card follows at 10 pm ET, exclusively on ESPN+ with a pay-per-view cost of US $69.99.
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