"This don't scare me" - Ciryl Gane says Francis Ngannou has 'big knockout power,' but isn't worried about it; recalls Derrick Lewis fight

Ciryl Gane (left), Francis Ngannou (right) [Images Courtesy: @espnmma via Twitter, @francisngannou via Instagram]

In an interview with Submission Radio, Ciryl Gane said he wasn't scared of Francis Ngannou. He also compared the UFC heavyweight champion to Derrick Lewis.

"This don't scare me. You see with Derrick Lewis, he had big knockout power too. Derrick Lewis is a beast too. But it's not a problem when you're in the fight. I stay inside [and defend] like that, it was not a problem. I'm a heavyweight like me, I can touch too with a big [punch], but no this is not a problem for me. This really [doesn't] scare me."

Gane defeated Derrick Lewis via TKO at UFC 265 to win the interim heavyweight title.

FRANCE STAND UP 🇫🇷🇫🇷🇫🇷 @Ciryl_Gane #AndNew #UFC265 https://t.co/HCW0mgnpEp

Ciryl Gane also recalled sparring sessions with Ngannou when the two heavyweights trained together. 'Bon Gamin' revealed that Ngannou was the hardest puncher he ever trained with. He also stated that the heavyweight champion helped him 'a little.'

"He's an animal, he is real. This is real, he has bog knockout power... Everybody knows what he trains [for], he has a big knockout power and it's not a surprise but it's exactly the same at the gym in the sparring session. Yeah, this helped me a little bit to know who he is but it's not a surprise... so nothing special, this is just a short decision of me sparring with him so it helped me for my experience."

Watch footage of their sparring session below:

Once training partners, Ciryl Gane and Francis Ngannou could be future opponents if Gane is able to capture the interim heavyweight title at #UFC265 🏆 (via @mmafactory_fr) https://t.co/pr2WH2c6km

Watch Gane talk about Ngannou at 15:30 of the video below:

Joe Rogan's preview for Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane

The UFC color commentator, on his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, stated that the bout between Ciryl Gane and Francis Ngannou will be intriguing.

He said that while Ngannou has the 'nuclear option,' referring to his one-punch knockout power, 'The Predator' will have to deal with Gane's unorthodox movement and superior footwork.

Watch Joe Rogan's take on Ciryl Gane vs. Francis Ngannou below:

Ciry Gane will reportedly face Francis Ngannou at UFC 270 on January 2022. The event is set to be the first UFC pay-per-view of 2022.

Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane will fight to unify the UFC heavyweight title at UFC 270 on Jan. 22, multiple sources confirmed to @bokamotoESPN.

Contracts are not yet signed, however both sides have agreed. The date was first reported by French media outlet La Sueur. https://t.co/NMRbrHEHpg