"It was invigorating" - Ciryl Gane on fighting in Houston against Derrick Lewis
Ciryl Gane has harked back to the time he faced hometown favorite Derrick Lewis in Houston, Texas, at UFC 265 in August 2021. Despite being heavily booed by the crowd, Gane dominantly defeated Lewis via third round TKO and captured the interim UFC heavyweight title.
In a promotional video for the UFC’s official outfit partner, Venum, Gane touched upon his incredible journey in the combat sports realm.
‘Bon Gamin’ recalled his Muay Thai career and eventual MMA debut, indicating that it feels like it was just yesterday that he started his journey in combat sports. He credited the electric atmosphere of fights as one of the factors that have brought him this far in the game.
Boasting a Muay Thai record of 13 wins and 0 losses, Gane emphasized that without Muay Thai, there would be no ‘Bon Gamin.’
Gane stated:
"After joining the UFC, I experienced some crazy crowds and atmospheres. In Houston, an entire crowd against me. It was incredible. That kind of thing can put pressure on a fighter. For me, it did not stop me from expressing myself and trusting my abilities. It was invigorating. That’s the funny thing about combat sports – You can draw your strength from anywhere."
Gane posted the video to his Twitter account. Additionally, a statement attached to the tweet reads:
“I love pressure, it's what makes me feel alive. From my muay-thaï days to a UFC Championship Fight, I loved every second of it ! @venum"
Watch Ciryl Gane discuss his title win and more below:
@venumI love pressure, it's what makes me feel alive. 🫀⚡️
From my muay-thaï days to a UFC Championship Fight, I loved every second of it !
🐍 @venum https://t.co/xbjCLiDQAC
Teddy Atlas draws parallels between Ciryl Gane and ‘The Gypsy King’ Tyson Fury
Teddy Atlas recently lauded Ciryl Gane for possessing the craftiness of a smaller fighter despite being a huge heavyweight.
On The Fight with Teddy Atlas podcast, the legendary boxing trainer compared Gane to heavyweight boxing icon Tyson Fury. ‘The Gypsy King’ also happens to be a huge heavyweight with the craftiness of a smaller fighter.
Atlas said:
"In some ways, he [Gane] reminds me a little bit of Tyson Fury. Fury is this giant, huge mammoth of a man. And usually, you don't see the agility connected to that and the sophistication of style and technique connected to that as you do with Fury. That's what makes him so novel, so unique, so special that he has the combination."
Interim UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane is set to face reigning UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou at UFC 270 on January 22nd.
The winner of the bout will emerge as the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion and could face Jon Jones later this year.