"Power vs. skill" - Michael Bisping on Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane and Tom Aspinall's chances of winning the title
Michael Bisping recently weighed in on the highly-anticipated championship fight between Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane. ‘The Count’ also spoke about up-and-coming British heavyweight Tom Aspinall.
The former UFC middleweight champion, in a video posted to his YouTube channel, highlighted the unique stylistic matchup between Ngannou and Gane. The heavyweight duo are set to lock horns in the main event of UFC 270 in a title unification bout.
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The Englishman also gave his take on whether countryman Tom Aspinall could eventually become a UFC champion. Bisping said:
“I do see a championship for Tom Aspinall in the future. Soon? I don’t know about that. So, we’ve got Francis [Ngannou], and we’ve got Ciryl Gane. Who’s gonna win that? I don’t know. You've got power vs. skill. You've got finesse vs. force. You could go on all day, couldn’t you? It’s gonna be an interesting fight; it really is. Of course, the guys know each other."
He added:
"Chris Daukaus was another hot [heavyweight] prospect just like Tom Aspinall. And he just got – not exposed – but he just certainly got finished and knocked out against Derrick Lewis. So, I don’t think Tom; well, I know for a fact, Tom’s not in a rush. I speak to Tom Aspinall quite a lot.”
Bisping jestingly advised Aspinall that he’d be better off winning a few decisions rather than finishing everyone in round one. He joked that the rising heavyweight contender could thereby avoid getting fast-tracked into fights against the dangerous top-tier heavyweights like Chris Daukaus did.
Watch Michael Bisping weigh in on Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane, Tom Aspinall, and more in the video below:
Ciryl Gane on Francis Ngannou being the most powerful fighter he’s ever met
In a recent interview with La Sueur, Ciryl Gane praised his former training partner Francis Ngannou. ‘Bon Gamin’ indicated that he’s confident about his chances of winning at UFC 270 but lauded Ngannou’s power, athleticism and strength. Gane said:
“We're coming into this fight with our own strengths. We're not here to try and counter his strengths. We don't want to try and be stronger than him. Till today, I've never seen anyone as powerful, as athletic, [and] with such knockout power. I've never seen it. In terms of strength, Francis might be the most impressive guy in UFC history.”
Watch Ciryl Gane discuss his upcoming bout with Francis Ngannou below:
The winner of the Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane bout will emerge as the undisputed UFC heavyweight champion and is likely to defend the title against Jon Jones later this year. The UFC's heavyweight division is in a very strong place at the moment and 2022 is shaping up to be a massive year for the division.