Ciryl Gane Recalls Tough Times Following Loss to Jon Jones

Ciryl Gane has come close to winning the UFC heavyweight title multiple times in his career. Back in 2022, the French star lost to Francis Ngannou and had his dreams shattered. However, perhaps the most disheartening time came when the 36-year-old could not topple the heavyweight king, Jon Jones. 

Speaking with ZackNaniTV, Gane pointed out that the loss broke him from within. Things got so bad that the French UFC star even thought about hanging up his gloves at one point.

Gane said, “After Jon Jones? I was very close to retiring. It was really tough. After that fight, the criticism was harsh, there were negative comments on social media, people treated me very harshly because of my performance. I can understand - they were expecting me to do something better.”

The 36-year-old added, “I thought about quitting. I was very close. But in the end, I decided to continue. Because there were still things I wanted to do, I still had the desire. That's why I stayed."

Gane and Jones locked horns back in March 2023. Coming into the fight, the duo had a lot of verbal back-and-forth going on. However, while many thought that Gane had a good chance of winning, Jones took the win as he submitted the French star via a Guillotine choke in the very first minute. 

Valter Walker Backs Ciryl Gane to Defend Championship 

After a lot of ups and downs in his career, Gane has been crowned as the champion finally. But that happened because of Tom Aspinall vacating the title. Of course, the 36-year-old would want to defend his belt to show his worth as a champion to the world. 

Trying to predict the outcome, Walker recently put his bet on Gane. While he stated that Josh Hokit will be a menacing opponent, Walker does not think he has the ability to topple Gabe. Walker said, “I think Ciryl Gane will win. But I think it's not going to be a bad fight. I think it's going to be a good fight. I don't think Ciryl Gane is going to easily win. I think people should not Josh Hokit,  because he talks a lot of sh** and people take him like a clown.”

Surely, with a lot depending on the bout, it remains to be seen what’s next.