UFC heavyweight Ciryl Gane might just have lost his interim belt to undisputed champ Francis Ngannou, but he’s chomping at the bit for another shot at UFC gold. Gane knows better than most that the UFC heavyweight division is in a state of limbo with Ngannou recovering from knee surgery, so he told MMAJunkie that a win over Tai Tuivasa should earn him another shot at an interim title.
“I think if I win against Tuivasa, I think it’s gonna be a fight for the interim title against the winner of the next fight for the interim title.
Gane Demands Another Title Shot
So this [loss to Ngannou] put me a little bit back, but this put me more challenge, so I’m OK. I’m a competitor, so I like that. That’s OK because some people say but you just lost like that (signals close fight) with Francis, you must have a revenge for the big belt and I said, ‘No, I’m OK with that.’
It’s really complicated at the moment with this division. There are a lot of people in the top five and I think for the UFC to manage that it’s a little bit complicated so I can understand the UFC’s plan and I’m OK with that.”
Gane is ranked no. 1 in the heavyweight division, with the likes of former champ Stipe Miocic, Tai Tuivasa, Curtis Blaydes, and Derrick Lewis filling out the rest of the top 5. With former light heavyweight champ Jon Jones still threatening to fight at 265 pounds, we may well see another interim title on the line. Cyril Gane already has a list of names he would love to take on for another chance at the strap.
“I don’t know when the fight is going to happen between Jones and Stipe, but if I win against Tuivasa, I want to do a fight early after this fight for the interim title.
There were a few months where it was a little bit like, ‘No, I want Francis.’ But I just want the belt now. This is my goal. I just want to go to the top and it doesn’t matter if it’s Blaydes, Stipe or Jones or Francis.”
Assuming Jon Jones fights Stipe Miocic, as has long been rumored, and Curtis Blaydes takes on British upstart Tom Aspinall as scheduled for UFC London in July, a clash of the titans may well be around the corner.
Is the heavyweight division due for another interim title? Let us know in the comments.
