Ciryl Gane extended his undefeated record to 8-0 against Jairzinho Rozenstruik in a clear 50-45 unanimous decision last night at UFC Vegas 20.
One clean shot can completely change a fight, especially in the heavyweight division. The key which opened the door to victory for Gane was his fast jab and superior range management. Through all 25-minutes Gane dictated where the fight took place. Fighting on the outside, landing to the head, body, and legs, allowed Gane to completely defuse the power of Rozenstruik.
Gane’s next fight
When the UFC rankings are released on Tuesday, Gane will likely break into the top 5 of the division. There has been a lot of activity among the top of the heavyweight division this past month, from Alexander Volkov’s stupendous TKO victory over Alistair Overeem to Derrick Lewis landing the viral uppercut KO flooring Curtis Blaydes last weekend. Although Volkov and Lewis have history, a matchup between Gane and Volkov is more likely around the corner. The stylistic striking matchup has fireworks written all over it. Both sustained relatively little damage in their fights and seem to want to be back in the octagon as soon as possible.
Silence the critics
Although Gane’s performance was dominant, some were not that impressed. UFC president Dana White shared his feelings about the heavyweight’s first main event performance with Yahoo Sports Kevin Iole, “This was [Ciryl Gane’s] coming out party and his chance to show the world who he is. He won, but let’s leave it at that, he won.”
Former Light heavyweight champion Jon Jones was also vocal during the main event. Jones took to Twitter to criticize both heavyweights,
“These boys better get used to pushing the pace, all this standing around ain’t gonna fly when daddy comes home.”
Jones is preparing to make his heavyweight debut, where he is expected to receive an immediate title shot.
Gane took the criticism in stride. During the post-fight press conference, Gane addressed White’s comments.
“I can understand that – he is the boss and he wants to make money, so he wants a guy [who’s] bankable. I was not really happy but [my head coach] said ‘you did very well, you won five rounds of a fight.’ So, I’m happy. I think I proved something. I can go five rounds and I can manage five rounds. I’m really comfortable with five rounds.”
Gane’s performance did not yield the massive KO as the other headliners this month, but he did what he needed against a tough opponent. Let’s not forget Rozenstruik’s devastating KO over Overeem with only seconds left in the main event. Rozenstruik’s power stays with him through 5 rounds, something Gane and his team clearly prepared for. Gane is also a young heavyweight with a tremendously high ceiling. As he said during the post-fight conference, this performance was simply another display of his versatility, proving he’s a threat for every heavyweight.
Quick Results
Ciryl Gane def. Jairzinho Rozenstruik via unanimous decision (50-45 3x)
Magomed Ankalaev def. Nikita Krylov by unanimous decision (29-28 3x)
Montana De La Rosa vs. Mayra Bueno Silva — Majority draw (28-27 S, 28-28 2x)
Pedro Munhoz def. Jimmie Rivera by unanimous decision (30-27 2x, 29-28)
Alex Caceres def. Kevin Croom by unanimous decision (30-26 2x, 30-27)
Thiago Moises def. Alexander Hernandez by unanimous decision (30-27 2x, 29-28)
Alexis Davis def. Sabina Mazo by unanimous decision (30-27 2x, 30-26)
Ronnie Lawrence def. Vince Cachero by TKO (punches) in Round One
Dustin Jacoby def. Maxim Grishin
