Winner of the Russian Alexander Volkov by split decision and without convincing at UFC 310 on the night of Saturday to Sunday in Las Vegas, the Frenchman Ciryl Gane spoke again about the title after his fight. A future that remains quite unclear for the 34-year-old fighter.
So disappointed that he almost skipped the interview in the cage. Ciryl Gane did not have the heart to speak immediately after winning his fight against Russian Alexander Volkov at UFC 310 on the night of Saturday to Sunday in Las Vegas. Handicapped by a toe injury and “a little rusty” according to Taylor Lapilus, MMA consultant for RMC Sport, “Bon Gamin”, very unhappy with his performance, quickly released the microphone in the cage, sparing himself the traditional question about his next fight.
A few minutes later, at a press conference, the French heavyweight, number 2 contender in the -120kg category behind champion Jon Jones and interim champion Tom Aspinall, nevertheless agreed to answer a question about 2025.
“I want to come back as soon as possible, we’ll see about my toes, but even during the healing period I can do physical work. I want to return to the gym as soon as possible, because I want to stay active “, he assured.
Active against whom? “I’m not going to ask anyone,” Gane continued. “I just won, we’re going to have a discussion with the UFC, I don’t know what’s going to happen. Jones, Aspinall… I don’t know. But people know I’m here and I’m the real challenger (for the title), I proved it tonight (…) Volkov was incredible, bravo to him, but I won, I proved that I am the number 1 challenger.
Towards a fight against Aspinall… in theory
Let’s recontextualize. In the heavyweight category, champion Jon Jones, recent winner of Stipe Miocic, should soon leave his belt vacant – according to him. Tom Aspinall, number one contender (and interim champion) whom Jones refuses to face, should therefore fight for the belt against another man.
Ciryl Gane? This is the logical next step. In theory. Aspinall has already faced all the best in his category (Volkov, Pavlovich, Blaydes…) and “Bon Gamin” is just behind him in the ranking (2nd). But Gane, who has already failed twice to win the title (against Ngannou then Jones), did not really score points in Las Vegas. Dana White even felt that Volkov deserved the victory. Is the boss of the UFC, who rules the roost in the organization, likely to hold it against our Frenchman? To have.
He always thinks about the belt
Still, an Aspinall-Gane fight has been in the air for a long time. After the Frenchman snubbed the Briton – then behind him in the rankings – after his victory against Serghei Spivac in 2023, the UFC proposed a Franco-English duel in the summer of 2024.
Problem: the offer fell at the time when “Bon Gamin” was engaged with Netflix on the filming of the film “Knock-Out”. This week, before facing Volkov, Gane denied having refused fights: “I have not refused any contract. On the contrary. To tell the truth, it was me who was refused. Aspinall and Pavlovich refused me. I’m not shouting it from the rooftops. It’s just like that. Some guys are available, others aren’t. Ciryl Gane had already mentioned a new fight for the title, a sign that he was still looking ahead: “It’s an opportunity, for him as for me, to go for the belt,” he announced.
A new run to find rhythm?
But can the Ciryl Gane seen against Alexander Volkov reasonably challenge a Tom Aspinall who has impressively dominated in his last outings? The Frenchman may assure that the whole aspect of the fight changed from the first seconds when his toes gave way, the fifteen months without a fight also seemed to weigh in the balance.
Also, “Bon Gamin” should not first embark on a new run of one or two fights against opponents – on paper – more affordable, in order to regain rhythm, confidence, and perhaps also be credit? Sergei Pavlovich, Curtis Blaydes and Jailton Almeida, for example, are behind him in the rankings. Gane still needs to agree to look behind…
One thing is certain, he will not want to relive a period of fifteen months without going to the cage. And even if he has made it clear several times that he will not stay in the industry until he is 40, the option of sporting retirement, for someone who has started another acting career, is not for not on the table at the moment.
