5 reasons why Ciryl Gane will defeat Francis Ngannou at UFC 270

#2. Ciryl Gane may have a superior ground game to Francis Ngannou

Ciryl Gane has shown an impressive ground game at points during his UFC career

A superior ground game may also benefit Ciryl Gane on January 22.

While everyone knows that Francis Ngannou probably carries more power in his fists than any other fighter in the history of the UFC, a big question mark continues to hang over how good his ground game is.

When he fought Stipe Miocic for the first time in 2018, the answer to that question appeared to be that, on the ground, ‘The Predator’ was a fish out of water. He had nothing for Miocic when he was put on the mat and his failure to stop the champion’s takedowns led him directly to defeat.

Based on his rematch with Miocic last March, Ngannou does appear to have closed some of the holes in his takedown defense. He was able to stuff more than one attempt successfully before he stopped the champion in the second round. However, that was one fight and so quite whether Ngannou’s ground game has genuinely improved if he were to be put on his back is up in the air.

Ciryl Gane is definitely not the same caliber of wrestler as Miocic. However, we have seen evidence that his ground game in terms of his submission skill is surprisingly excellent.

His UFC debut saw him submit Raphael Pessoa with an arm triangle choke, while his second bout inside the octagon saw him tap Don’Tale Mayes with a heel hook, hardly the most common submission to be utilized by a heavyweight.

Could Gane therefore tap out Ngannou if he were to take him down? It’s a difficult question to ask, but it’s safe to say that based on what we’ve seen from the two of them, ‘Bon Gamin’ is the more proven ground fighter, giving him an advantage should the fight hit the deck.

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#1. Ciryl Gane appears to be the more technical fighter

Ciryl Gane might be the best technical striker that Francis Ngannou has faced in the octagon

While Francis Ngannou hits harder than any fighter in UFC history and has knocked out some true greats in his time there, there’s definitely an argument to suggest that technically speaking, ‘The Predator’ is not a great striker.

Sure, nobody can withstand taking a clean hit from him, but for the most part, the native of Cameroon throws wild haymakers that don’t often come from the best angles. He also swings widely, holds his chin high in the air and rarely sets up his bigger shots with strikes such as jabs.

Ciryl Gane, on the other hand, is clearly a very educated striker. Prior to fighting in the UFC, he competed as a professional Muay Thai kickboxer, putting together an unbeaten record of 13-0 in the ring.

This experience is clear from his performances in the octagon, as he’s picked apart excellent strikers such as Junior dos Santos, Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Alexander Volkov. Sure, he doesn’t possess Ngannou’s power, but he works from behind a stiff jab, has excellent head movement, footwork and angles, and is patient, too.

In addition, it’s arguable that the Frenchman will be the best striker Ngannou has ever fought in the octagon. Sure, Alistair Overeem was more decorated, but he was also past his best and has always had a questionable chin.

Therefore, if this fight ends up taking place on the feet as everyone expects it will, while Gane will undoubtedly have to avoid taking a big shot from Ngannou, there’s every chance that he could pick ‘The Predator’ apart using his superior technique – leading him to victory.