Ciryl Gane on why he wants Francis Ngannou to stay in the UFC - "I want my rematch"
Ciryl Gane doesn't want Francis Ngannou to quit the UFC just yet, at least not before he gets a shot at redemption against 'The Predator.' At UFC 270, Ngannou surprised the world by resorting to wrestling to get past the formerly undefeated Frenchman via unanimous decision.
Although the fight was expected to be a striking contest from the heavyweight champion's side, Ngannou outsmarted Gane by taking the fight to the ground. The Frenchman seemed to be taken by surprise by the fact that Ngannou chose to grapple with him for most of the fight.
@Francis_Ngannou is a wrestler now. Be afraid, be very afraid! #UFC270
⚠️ @Francis_Ngannou is a wrestler now. Be afraid, be very afraid! #UFC270 https://t.co/FLRpawyHMQ
While he's managed to retain the heavyweight title, there are still doubts over Ngannou's future in the UFC. Interestingly, Dana White wasn't present for the post-fight press conference following UFC 270. White also did not put the title on Ngannou following his victory on the night.
With rumors of Ngannou possibly leaving the UFC doing the rounds, Gane has made it clear he'd like 'The Predator' to stay. Gane said he'd like to run it back with Ngannou and get the chance to redeem himself.
"I don't want that [Ngannou to leave]. I want my rematch. I want to do this fight a second time. I want this fight, I want this very much," Gane said at the post-fight press conference.
Check out Gane's interview at the UFC 270 post-fight press conference below:
Francis Ngannou intends to switch to boxing before retiring
Francis Ngannou has made it clear that he wants to compete in a boxing match before calling time on his professional career. Following his win over Gane at UFC 270, Ngannou told Joe Rogan he's mulling a potential switch to boxing down the line.
"It's something that I must do before the end of my career! And right now, I'm really looking towards any opportunity to get that because it's not like I had a lifetime here. So I better start thinking about it," Ngannou said.
"It's something that I must do before the end of my career!"
@francis_ngannou when won't call time in combat sports until he's entered the boxing ring 🥊
#UFC270 https://t.co/wfs7JoSxab
Ngannou has been linked with a potential boxing showdown with Tyson Fury down the line. Both Ngannou and Fury have previously expressed interest in fighting one another and the bout should attract a lot of eyeballs.