The former UFC interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane is set to fight #3 ranked heavyweight Tai Tuivasa this weekend. Gane earned his interim title by defeating Derrick Lewis, who Tuivasa recently dispatched in order to earn his ranked position. Gane appeared at the pre-fight media day to acknowledge how “dangerous” Tuivasa is and compare him to Lewis, and his own path to victory.
“He’s really dangerous, and everybody knows this. And he proved it. He’s on a good run. He finished every opponent. He’s really dangerous in his striking, so I must be focused.
Ciryl Gane Compares “Dangerous” Tai Tuivasa to Derrick Lewis
[I’ll use] ‘Bon Gamin’ style: the footwork, manage distance, touch and never get touched. That’s it.” Tai Tuivasa’s charismatic style and penchant for brutal, thunderous knockout wins has made him a star at home in Australia and abroad. Among heavyweights, where knockout power is almost taken for granted, Tuivasa was often compared to Derrick Lewis, who holds the UFC record for most knockouts.
When Tuivasa faced Lewis, it looked like the heir to the self-proclaimed Knock Out King’s throne might come off second best, until Tuivasa delivered an elbow straight into the side of Lewis’ head, sending the 265-pound Texan straight onto the canvas.
Cyril Gane will be fighting Tai Tuivasa on home turf in Paris. Both fighters knocked Derrick Lewis out on his own home turf, in Texas, for their most recent victories. Gane acknowledged the similarities between the two, but clarified a few key differences. Gane is hoping to deliver another stoppage victory in front of his home crowd.
“I want to put more volume than usual. So I want to stop the fight before the end because we will probably be really tired together, both, and I expect this kind of fight.
A lot of people compare him with Derrick Lewis, but he’s not exactly the same. He can land more punches, make more pressure, [and has] more conditioning, also. So that’s why I say he’s dangerous.”
Cyril Gane’s style is unique among the UFC heavyweight elite. Gane is remarkably light on his feet, even more impressive considering the man’s 247-pound frame. He uses this mobility and fleet-footedness to dip in and out of range, consistently out-scoring opponents who tend to plod forward and swing for the fences.
He made this style work against Derrick Lewis. Can he make it work against Tai Tuivasa, who he says is even more dangerous than Lewis? Let us know in the comments.
