Dan Hardy says Ciryl Gane could reign over the heavyweight division like Jon Jones did over the 205lbs division

Dan Hardy has drawn parallels between Ciryl Gane and Jon Jones. According to the Englishman, Gane could very well reign over the heavyweight division for a long time, replicating Jon Jones' dominant title reign at light heavyweight.

'Bon Gamin' is currently preparing for a title unification bout at UFC 270 against his former stablemate Francis Ngannou. Just days ahead of the fight, Dan Hardy expressed his thoughts on the fight and how it could very well be the start of a new era in the heavyweight division.

During a recent interview with Submission Radio, Hardy said:

"Ciryl can come in and this is his 11th MMA fight and we know full well, even if he loses this he's most likely going to be in a title shot in the next two years and he's most likely gonna be a world champion in the next two years. What we may see is Ciryl Gane really starting his heavyweight reign, he might just hold this division down like Jon Jones did it [over] light-heavyweight."

Watch Dan Hardy's interview with Submission Radio below:

Jon Jones got his hands on the light-heavyweight title back in 2011 and went on to dominate the 205lbs division for nearly a decade, establishing himself as one of the best to ever do it. Even though his reign was disturbed by positive drug tests, 'Bones' always held an upper hand over everyone else in the division.

Ciryl Gane certainly looks like a fighter who has a lot to offer. With his biggest challenge scheduled for UFC 270, it will be interesting to see how he does and whether he can go on to imitate Jon Jones' success.

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Ciryl Gane's coach believes a fight with Jon Jones is certain down the line

Fernand Lopez recently claimed that Ciryl Gane is bound to face Jon Jones at some point in his career. Moreover, Gane's coach believes that the fight will happen regardless of the outcome of his upcoming fight against Francis Ngannou.

During an interview with Submission Radio, Lopez said:

" We know that no matter what happens, no matter the outcome of Saturday, at some point, we will meet with Jon Jones. [Gane] will face Jon Jones no matter what happens. I'm pretty sure of that and confident. But for now, the toughest guy is [Ngannou]."

Watch Fernand Lopez's full interview with Submission Radio below: