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At UFC 285, Ciryl Gane faced the most daunting challenge of his career. While he previously suffered defeat against Francis Ngannou in his first-ever attempt at claiming undisputed heavyweight gold, his most recent outing was much different. He didn't face a former training partner with whom he was very familiar.
Instead, 'Bon Gamin' locked horns with arguably the greatest fighter of all time. Jon Jones stepped inside the octagon and needed no more than two minutes to dispatch the Frenchman in dominant fashion. Gane's facial expression immediately after the loss told a tale of astonishment.
He couldn't believe his foe was that good. Unfortunately, in such a fast-moving and unforgiving sport, 'Bon Gamin' can wallow in his misery. There are several things he must do in the aftermath of UFC 285, and this list explores five of them.
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#5. Ciryl Gane needs a quick turnaround
One of the only benefits of Ciryl Gane's loss to Jon Jones is that it was exceptionally quick. Within two minutes, the Frenchman was forced to surrender to a guillotine-choke. Thankfully, he sustained no damage during their bout, so he doesn't have to serve a suspension.
With no injuries or damage taken, 'Bon Gamin' must do everything in his power to erase the memory of such an embarrassing loss. To do so, he needs a quick turnaround. After Cain Velasquez lost his heavyweight crown to Junior dos Santos via an early knockout, he rebounded with a devastating win against Antônio Silva.
Ciryl Gane must do the same. With no suspension to serve, he should campaign for another opponent so that the freshest memory in everyone's mind is an impressive win.
#4. Ciryl Gane must work on his grappling
Thus far in his career as a professional fighter, Ciryl tasted defeat twice. Both of his losses were due to his deficiencies in the grappling department. Against former teammate Francis Ngannou, 'Bon Gamin' conceded takedowns and wasn't able to stop the predominantly striking-based fighter from wrestling him.
Meanwhile, Jon Jones only needed two minutes to secure a takedown and guillotine-choke for a submission win. In both cases, Gane's decision-making failed him. He went for an ill-advised heel hook that allowed 'The Predator' to regain top position, ultimately leading to the Cameroonian's unanimous decision win.
Against 'Bones', the Frenchman neglected to fight his foe's hands during the guillotine-choke setup. These instances are indicative of Gane's unfamiliarity with grappling exchanges and he can only iron them out by dedicating more time to improving his grappling so that he can make better grappling-based decisions.
#3. He must train even when he doesn't have a fight scheduled
Despite his head coach, Fernand Lopez, trying to engage in damage control by claiming that Ciryl Gane has trained consistently since his loss to Francis Ngannou, the Frenchman's statement said otherwise. In late February, 'Bon Gamin' described himself as lazy.
He gave insight into his training as a fighter by revealing that he doesn't train until he has a fight scheduled due to numerous obligations, whether those obligations are to his family or the media. He claimed to have barely trained since defeating Tai Tuivasa. This is a troubling revelation.
MMA is a fast-evolving sport. Since Gane appears to neglect his training, he risks being surpassed by divisional rivals who train more frequently. This will render him ill-prepared for the emergence of new techniques, gameplans, approaches, etc. He must train more frequently, even if he doesn't have a fight booked.
#2. Ciryl Gane must accept bouts against lower-ranked competition
Ciryl Gane remains a high-level heavyweight fighter in the UFC. Thus far, with 13 bouts to his name, he has secured 11 wins and two losses. Unfortunately, his two losses came in his last three fights. Often-times, undefeated fighters struggle to bounce back from defeat.
Now that he's suffered two losses with only one win in-between, 'Bon Gamin' is likely in need of a confidence boost. This is common among fighters who have suffered losses and end up fighting with lost confidence in their abilities. This was evident in Charles Oliveira after the Brazilian's brief skid.
While Gane is yet to be on a losing streak of any sort, winning only one of his last three fights is less than desirable. He should opt for lower-ranked opponents to not only help regain his confidence, but also allow him to test out any new techniques he may pickup from training more frequently.
#1. Ciryl Gane should campaign to headline a UFC Paris card
It has been rumored that the UFC intends to return to France this year. If the promotion does so, it will need a compelling headliner. There is no French name in MMA today with a bigger profile than Ciryl Gane. He is a former interim heavyweight champion and will always be given a warm welcome on home soil.
To offset the negative feelings he is sure to have after such a lopsided loss as well as rebuilding him as a heavyweight star, the UFC ought to schedule 'Bon Gamin' for a headline bout in the promotion's next bout in Paris. A triumphant return to his home country would be a way for him to redirect his year.
While 2023 is off to a poor start for the heavyweight striking specialist, the latter months could be part of a turnaround punctuated by a main event on French soil.
