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Tom Aspinall has given his thoughts on the upcoming Francis Ngannou vs. Ciryl Gane showdown at UFC 270.
There’s an argument to be made that the UFC’s heavyweight division is as hot as it’s been in a long time. From pillar to post, there are great fighters competing both in the top 15 and outside of it, with the title picture, in particular, looking extremely promising.
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The championship is next set to be defended at UFC 270 next month when Francis Ngannou attempts to unify the strap against Ciryl Gane. The two men know each other well from their sparring days, but in this environment, anything is possible.
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Tom Aspinall, another fighter who is rising up through the ranks at heavyweight, has broken down what he believes could happen at the event. During a recent appearance on Michael Bisping's Believe You Me podcast, Aspinall said:
“Do you know what, I think Ngannou, the way he fights, he has a massive fear factor with him. He’s kind of like a prime Mike Tyson. Nobody wants to get hit by him. But I think someone with the skill set of a Ciryl Gane, who is quite unique in his skill set and stuff, I think he has what it takes to win. Especially because he sparred with him a few times and he’s felt that power, and he knows what it feels like. Whereas for the other guys he’s fought, it’s foreign. They don’t know how it feels yet.
“I can see Gane winning quite comfortably but at the same time, I wouldn’t be surprised if he got knocked out in 30 seconds as well. With that Francis Ngannou power you just never know.”
Catch Aspinall's comments on the Believe You Me podcast below:
Who has Ciryl Gane beaten to get here?
Even though he’s just 10-0 in professional mixed martial arts, Ciryl Gane is quickly becoming one of the most talked-about fighters in the sport.
He may not be a mainstream star just yet, but his technical ability inside the cage goes above any beyond what many felt was possible at this weight class.
In the short time he’s been in the UFC, the Frenchman has already managed to defeat Raphael Pessoa, Don'Tale Mayes, Tanner Boser, Junior dos Santos, Jairzinho Rozenstruik, Alexander Volkov and Derrick Lewis.
The most recent of those successes earned him the interim strap, which he hopes to turn into the undisputed gold in 2022.
