Ciryl Gane just showed that he is levels above Derrick Lewis, he is now the interim heavyweight champion. France now has a new UFC heavyweight champion, but as many would say he is still not the Undisputed.
Many would even say that the fight is just a contender fight because Ngannou just won the belt recently and there more champions that had a long time of not defending the fight. Prior to the start of the fight, Ngannou even gave his opinion saying he respects both contenders but they are still not the king of the division.
Here’s what Francis Ngannou had to say before the interim title fight started. Via @francis_ngannou. pic.twitter.com/T89NyKAuum
— Brett Okamoto (@bokamotoESPN) August 8, 2021
Gane was just too skilled and technical that Lewis had no answer. Lewis’s biggest chance of winning was obviously a knockout, as he would explode or bait his opponents but unfortunately, Gane was aware of those and just got out just in time.
Derrick Lewis also had a cardio issue as he gassed, meanwhile, Gane was just jumping inside the Octagon. He would throw a leg kick to Lewis which in the end led to an easy finish. Without mobility, Lewis was not able to counter or even avoid the shots.
Fans are impressed with Gane’s performance, many are excited about how Francis Ngannou vs Ciryl Gane plays out. It is also worth noting that Gane’s current MMA coach was Ngannou’s first MMA coach, so a story sells the fight as well. Current undisputed champion, Francis Ngannou reacted to the winner of the fight.
Impressive performance from Gane !
He's now a legit contender.
See you soon boy. When you know you know. #ufc265— Francis Ngannou (@francis_ngannou) August 8, 2021
What is interesting is we have not seen a fighter like Gane, a heavyweight that moves and bounces like a middleweight. It is a tough opponent to beat, especially how skilled he is. He could outpoint you to a decision, pick his shots or even go for a knockout. Gane is still and is clearly skilled but the question is will he be able to take or avoid Ngannou’s bombs?
