When the Giants Meet: Previewing a Heavyweight Title Bout for the Ages
Ciryl Gane and Francis Ngannou.(photo credit UFC)On January 22, Francis Ngannou will fight Ciryl Gane in a title unification bout for the UFC Heavyweight Championship. It promises to be a thrilling fight between two of the more unique heavyweights we have ever seen, and as we get closer and closer to the fight, my excitement has only grown.
The man currently holding the title of reigning UFC Heavyweight Champion is Francis Ngannou, who is the hardest hitter we have ever seen in the history of mixed martial arts. He rose to prominence after his fight with Alistair Overeem where he nearly separated Alistair’s head from his shoulders, and from that point on he seemed destined to capture UFC gold. However, Ngannou’s rise was not without its speed bumps, as he lost his title bout against Stipe Miocic, and followed that fight up with one of the worst performances we have ever seen in the octagon against Derrick Lewis. Luckily for fans of Ngannou, he was not to be denied, as he went on a four fight win streak before getting revenge against Micoic by knocking him out to finally claim the title of UFC champion. Ngannous’ strength is obviously his vicious knockout power, while his wrestling was considered a weakness, something that Stipe Miocic exploited to defeat him in their first fight. However, their second fight was a much different story, as Stipe attempted to take Francis down in the first round, only for Francis to stuff the takedown, take Stipe’s back, and proceed to pummel Stipe in the face. For other heavyweights in the UFC, Francis’ second fight against Miocic must have been a terrifying experience, as Ngannou showed that not only had he improved his wrestling, but also that he now was incorporating more kicks into his game and was taking a more patient approach.
Ngannou's knockout of Alistair Overeem. (photo credit UFC)All you should know about Ciryl Gane is that despite Ngannou’s incredible track record, Gane will enter the octagon against Francis as a slight betting favorite. That is because despite all I’ve said about Ngannou’s unique and incredible talent, Gane might be the more special of the two fighters. Gane is often described as a 260 pounder who moves like 170 pounder, as watching him fight allows you to see skill and technique that has never been seen before in the Heavyweight division. His undefeated record speaks for itself, and his performance against Derrick Lewis to claim the interim UFC Heavyweight championship was thoroughly dominant.
As invincible as Gane has looked so far in the UFC, he will need to continue to be absolutely perfect against Ngannou. All Francis needs is a tiny opening to remove you from your consciousness; just ask Junior Dos Santos, who he knocked as Dos Santos ran from him, or Stipe Miocic, who Ngannou laid out with a simple short left hook. The fight between Ngannou and Gane will surely be an incredible matchup, and while I can’t tell you what will happen, I can say I’ll be on the edge of my seat the entire time.