Usually, it is hard to see skill-heavy fighters in the relatively shallow heavyweight division. Rather, most of their matches heavily depend on power. Interestingly, Ciryl Gane is an antithesis of the stereotypical heavyweight MMA fighter. Despite facing opponents with a power disadvantage, he can fight anywhere, creating angles with insane speed and dominating over every Heavyweight fighter he’s fought on a striking match.
Cyril Gane is the current top striker in the UFC heavyweight division, boasting unparalleled skills, agility, and speed. Starting his professional Muay Thai career in 2016, he achieved a 13-0 record, even defeating the WBC Muay Thai champion. Afterwards, he was supposed to fight Rico Verhoeven, the heavyweight champion of the biggest kickboxing organization GLORY, in a title bout, but he chose to go to the UFC instead. In 2018, he made his professional MMA debut and quickly rose to the top of the UFC heavyweight rankings by defeating notable opponents like Dos Santos, Rozenstruik, Volkov, and Lewis in just three years, earning him the interim championship.
Despite Muay Thai base fighters like Shogun Rua and Darren Till not having good footwork, Gane exhibits fluid and rapid movements, seamlessly switching stances throughout a fight. He is good in both of the orthodox and southpaw stances, and sets up his attacks through stance switches as well. He maintains exceptional stamina, consistently changing stances and stepping with agility throughout all five rounds. Gane possesses impressive speed, long reach, and excellent head movement, making it challenging for opponents to land effective strikes.
His striking repertoire includes a variety of combinations, showcasing skills usually seen in lighter weight classes. With a long reach and quick jab, Gane poses a constant threat, especially with his unpredictable punches when switching stances. His style of frequently changing stances can catch opponents off guard, allowing him to throw punches and kicks rapidly, making him even more formidable.
Gane’s striking skills are not limited to punches; he effectively uses body kicks and front kicks to drain opponents’ energy rapidly. Additionally, his leg kicks are quick and powerful, making him a force to be reckoned with in long-range striking battles.
Despite having an upright stance, which is typically vulnerable to face attacks, Gane excels in defense. He maintains a stable style, focusing on countering even while launching his own attacks. His covering and head movement are exceptional, allowing him to avoid counters effectively, even in close-range or cage situations.
Gane incorporates offensive wrestling into his game, utilizing elbows and flying kicks in clinch situations. His flexibility enables him to land elbows from various angles. Winning 23% of his bouts with submission, he utilizes unique and unusual submissions like the triangle and heel hook, Gane showcases a diverse ground game. However, his takedown defense has shown vulnerability in some fights, and his ground control and submission attempts have room for improvement.
One notable weakness is Gane’s knockout power, which is considered somewhat lacking for the heavyweight division. Despite facing powerful opponents like Francis Ngannou, Gane has demonstrated an ability to absorb significant strikes without succumbing to them, showcasing his resilience and durability. However, the question remains about how his speed-dependent style will fare as he ages, considering the usual decline in speed and reflexes for fighters as they get older.
Another weakness is Gane’s tendency to cross his footwork during backsteps, making it challenging to maintain a stable stance, especially when evading rushes from opponents. While this flaw has been exposed in some fights, Gane’s overall skill set and strategic use of full coverage have mitigated its impact.
In conclusion, Cyril Gane is a complete striker with remarkable skills, but his knockout power and potential challenges as he ages are aspects to watch. His ground game shows promise but needs further refinement, especially against top-level contenders with wrestling skills, such as Jon Jones and Tom Aspinall.
StrikeSaga 
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