Former UFC Light Heavyweight and Heavyweight Champion Daniel Cormier recently shared a key issue in the Jon Jones/Ciryl Gane fight.
‘Bones’ will make his long-awaited heavyweight debut this weekend at UFC 285 in a bid to become a champion in two divisions. The longtime light heavyweight ace could match, and potentially once again better, his longtime rival Cormier should he also attain two-division glory.
For Ciryl Gane, UFC 285 marks a shot at redemption. Last year, at UFC 270, ‘Bon Gamin’ fell to then-champion Francis Ngannou via unanimous decision. Despite having the advantage on the feet due to ‘The Predator’s knee injury, Gane fell victim to the Cameroonian’s wrestling and was ill-equipped for combat on the ground.
Against a master wrestler and ground-and-pound aficionado like Jones, Gane will either reveal major improvements or potentially suffer a similar fate.
“He’s Got That Dog In Him” – Daniel Cormier On Ciryl Gane
On a recent edition of DC & RC, Cormier noted that Jones has a history of securing takedowns and dominating big fighters on the outside. However, Jones has never faced someone as large and powerful as Gane, who will likely enjoy a weight advantage in their clash.
“I think the x-factor becomes how does Jones handle those moments where he cannot secure takedowns,” Cormier said. “How does Jones handle being stuck on the outside with Ciryl Gane? Now, from everything that’s happened in the past, you believe that Jones will be okay… We have seen him handle big guys before so all these things point to him being okay. But you don’t know with Ciryl Gane.”
‘DC’ also highlighted Gane’s resilience and unpredictability in the Octagon. He used Gane’s UFC Paris victory over Tai Tuivasa last year as a key example, noting ‘Bon Gamin’s vicious comeback after getting dropped by ‘Bam Bam’.
“Ciryl Gane showed me something in the fight against Tai Tuivasa that I wasn’t sure that he had,” Cormier explained. “He got a little bit of dog in him… He got dropped and he got up and he just beat the crap out of Tai… Once Ciryl Gane got dropped, it’s like something changed.”
Jones vs. Gane continues to stump pundits and fans alike when it comes to predicting a likely winner. The highly-anticipated showdown finally comes to a head this weekend. The bout is expected to bring some much-needed stability to the heavyweight scene.
Do you think Jon Jones can get the better of Ciryl Gane?
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