Ciryl Gane Opens Up on ‘Real Loss’ to Jon Jones and ‘Overestimated’ Criticism Ahead of UFC 334
Ciryl Gane revealed how harsh criticism following his submission loss to Jon Jones reset his mindset and fueled his unbeaten run to the belt.
Days before his fight against Josh Hokit at UFC 334, Ciryl Gane recalled his loss to Jon Jones in the main event of UFC 285.
The Frenchman holds a 14-2 record with one no contest. Between his two defeats, he described the first-round guillotine choke at 2:04 against Jones as a "real loss."
In that fight, two things happened. The first was obviously bad, as he failed to capture the vacant heavyweight title. However, the second turned out to be positive, as the defeat changed his mindset and shaped him into the threat he is today.
Ciryl Gane Explains How Criticism Reset His Mindset After the Jon Jones Loss
Gane and Hokit will lock horns this Saturday at Madison Square Garden, with the undisputed heavyweight title on the line. The UFC promoted Gane from interim champion on Sept. 14, after Tom Aspinall vacated the belt due to serious eye issues caused by Gane's accidental eye poke over a year ago.
Since then, Gane has faced criticism for his fouls inside the Octagon. His fight with Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 added fuel to the fire after he landed illegal strikes to the back of the Brazilian fighter's head. Whether that backlash pushes him to deliver a clean fight in New York remains to be seen.
However, there is solid proof that he was affected by criticism. During a recent interview with UFC on Paramount+, Gane opened up about the aftermath of losing to "Bones" and how the media reaction affected him following the setback.
"Bon Gamin" said, “I think it was after the Jon Jones loss, because it was a real loss. After Jon Jones, something changed in my mindset, because also the pressure of social media from everywhere. Like, ‘Ciryl Gane, we overestimated him,’ blah, blah, blah.”
Asked whether the loss broke his heart, he drew a line between disappointment and quitting, adding, "No. I mean, I was disappointed. But because I'm a competitor and because I want to prove to myself, I'm gonna stay. I'm gonna prove to myself."
His earlier title loss, a unanimous decision to Francis Ngannou at UFC 270, went the full five rounds. In contrast, his quick defeat to Jones left far less room for argument. So, the doubters showed up immediately.
The 36-year-old stayed quiet and answered through his performances inside the cage. He beat Serghei Spivac and Alexander Volkov before fighting Aspinall at UFC 321 in October 2025, which became the most controversial bout of his career due to the infamous accidental eye poke. Then on June 14, he stopped Pereira, crushing his dream of becoming the UFC's first three-division champion.
His fighting style has drawn controversy, but he hasn't lost since falling to Jones. Now, critics can no longer call Gane "overestimated" if he successfully defends his title against Hokit on Saturday.
