"I cannot wait to see it" - Benoit Saint Denis backs Ciryl Gane to defeat Tom Aspinall and capture UFC gold

Tom Aspinall (left) vs. Ciryl Gane will headline UFC 321. [Images courtesy: Getty Images]
Tom Aspinall (left) vs. Ciryl Gane will headline UFC 321. [Images courtesy: Getty Images]

Ciryl Gane has opened as a +300 underdog against Tom Aspinall for the upcoming UFC 321 undisputed heavyweight title showdown. Frenchman Benoit Saint-Denis, however, believes his compatriot is set to emerge the victor.

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This would be Gane's third title shot. In his first bid for the belt, the 35-year-old suffered a unanimous decision loss against Francis Ngannou at UFC 270. More recently, at UFC 285, Jon Jones submitted in the first round.

Since many had tipped Aspinall to beat Jones while rumors of such a match-up were strong, the Gane fight doesn't seem to excite the broader fandom.

Saint-Denis, for one, seems eager for the fight. Speaking to Ariel Helwani, the lightweight contender noted his confidence in 'Bon Gamin's' ability to triumph over the Britt and bring home France's first UFC gold:

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"I think we are gonna finally have our first French UFC champion. I've been talking with him. I've been spending more time with him these past years, talking and training. I think he's ready, and I think he has this fire inside him of wanting to become champion. He has not been talking a lot in the past months, but he has been doing a really good job... I do believe he is an exceptional athlete, even for the heavyweight division. I do believe he's gonna beat Tom Aspinall and I cannot wait to see it... I do believe Ciryl can do it, and he will."
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Check out Benoit Saint-Denis' comments on Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane below:

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Tom Aspinall addresses Ciryl Gane's perceived grappling deficiencies with a dire warning

Ciryl Gane's ground game has left a lot to be desired. During his first title fight, Francis Ngannou controlled him on the ground with relative ease, and against Jon Jones, 'Bon Gamin' suffered a quick submission loss.

Tom Aspinall, however, is not counting on banking on Gane's seemingly weak ground game. During a presser for the event, when a media member asked him whether he'd be employing a grappling-heavy game at UFC 321, Aspinall hit back with a dire warning:

"If I hit anybody, I can knock anybody out, and I think Ciryl is no exception. Obviously, there are some weaknesses in his ground game, but I'm sure he has improved. This is an MMA fight, it can go anywhere. So, I'm sure we will both be ready for anything."

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Edited by Ujwal Jain
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