Ciryl Gane’s statement victory over Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 earned him interim heavyweight gold. It also earned praise from one of the sport’s most respected voices.
Following Gane’s second-round TKO win at the White House event, UFC Hall of Famer Daniel Cormier pushed back against any remaining doubts surrounding the French contender’s standing in the division.
Cormier Believes Gane Has Been Underrated for Too Long
Pereira entered the fight chasing history as he attempted to become the UFC’s first three-division champion. Instead, Gane delivered one of the biggest performances of his career and secured another shot at undisputed heavyweight gold.
Cormier said in his Youtube channel that he believes the result should finally silence critics who continue to overlook Gane’s accomplishments.
“Ciryl Gane is the real deal. I don’t understand why, for so long, we have all tried to bypass Ciryl Gane as one of the best heavyweights, if not the best heavyweight in the world.”
According to Cormier, Gane has repeatedly proven that his success has been earned rather than gifted.
“He’s told us time and time again, ‘I’ve earned my opportunity, that I’ve earned my chances to get these title fights. Nothing’s given, nobody gave me anything.'”
Smart Game Plan Helped Neutralize Pereira
Cormier pointed to Gane’s complete approach as one of the key reasons behind the victory.
While the fight largely played out on the feet, Gane consistently mixed in the threat of takedowns and wrestling exchanges. That forced Pereira to think about more than just striking.
Cormier also referenced the version of Gane that appeared against Tom Aspinall last year and felt the same sharpness was on display again
.“He showed him takedowns, he showed him wrestling, and by doing that, he was able to get Pereira thinking about all of his skills.”
“We said before the fight that if Ciryl showed up like he did against Tom Aspinall, Pereira would have problems.”
He added that many people close to the sport expected Gane to perform well despite Pereira’s growing reputation.
“Many people on the inside were actually picking Ciryl Gane and thought he was a pretty big favorite.”
Aspinall Rematch Appears Next for Interim Champion
With the interim title now around his waist, Gane appears headed toward a second meeting with heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall.
Their first encounter at UFC 321 ended in a no contest after an accidental eye poke left Aspinall requiring double eye surgery.
Moments after defeating Pereira, Gane called for a championship clash with Aspinall in Paris this September. The British champion has already indicated that he is willing to make the matchup happen.