Ciryl Gane earned a big KO win over Tai Tuivasa at UFC Fight Night 209 in Paris, France this past weekend, but after watching from Octagon-side, heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou made it clear that he wasn’t impressed by his performance.
“Yes, he’s good, but I’m the champ. Yeah, so it’s really hard to be impressed,” Ngannou said post-fight.
“That fight was very electric, though,” Ngannou acknowledged. “There were good actions in the fight. At some point, you see the fight was half-half and then it switched back to Ciryl’s side, which is what I thought. As far as distance, he’s good at controlling that and he was able to apply that in the fight tonight. You can see the body (shots), that’s what got him the victory. It was just like strategic, technical type of fight.”
“I know he’s is a great fighter. It’s hard to respond to that question for the guy that I beat – if I’m impressed with him. He’s here for a reason. I fought him for a reason because he was probably the No. 1 contender. Yes, he’s good, but I’m the champ. Yeah, so it’s really hard to be impressed.”
Ngannou is currently still rehabilitating after undergoing knee surgery back in March and recently revealed that he is unlikely to be ready to fight again until early next year, with a blockbuster match-up with Jon Jones believed to be his preferred option at that stage, assuming he comes to terms with the UFC regarding the terms of a new contract.
