Ciryl Gane continued his impressive UFC run, extending his record to 5-0 with a heel hook submission of Don’tale Mayes at UFC Singapore.
Ciryl Gane is one of the most exciting prospects in the UFC’s heavyweight division. The 28-year-old Frenchman made his promotional debut in his fourth professional fight in August, submitting Raphael Pessoa (who also fought at UFC Singapore) in the first round. With a 4-0 record heading into Singapore, Gane has showcased his muay thai background and versatile skill set. He’s also teammates with fellow heavyweight Francis Ngannou, whose rise up the ranks lit the division on fire.
Standing in the way of Gane’s rise was another impressive prospect: Don’tale Mayes. The 27-year-old has fought on the Dana White Contender Series in each of the last three summers, going 2-1 and winning his most recent two bouts. He’d tallied a 7-2 career record before UFC Singapore, with just two of his nine fights going to a decision.
Both fighters were moving well and active in the opening minute of the out, with nothing of note landing for either man. A couple of leg kicks from Mayes, and some solid body shots from Gane, broke the ice for the duo. A body kick from Gane around the halfway point of the round left Mayes open, and Gane took advantage with a solid right hand that put Mayes in trouble. The American kept his composure, but it wasn’t long until another body kick from Gane landed strong. Again, less than 30-seconds later, a body from Gane opened up the right hand which landed flush on Mayes’ head.
Mayes stayed tough in the face of adversity, and bigger and bigger shots from Gane continued to land from a variety of places. Body kicks and right hands were coming regularly, but it was a big left hand that did the most damage. A step-in elbow from Gane then opened up a cut beneath the right eye of Mayes, and the Frenchman pounced. While pouring on the strikes on a downed opponent, the horn would sound, and Mayes was saved by the bell.
Gane was on the front foot early in round two, continuing to work the body and keep Mayes backing up. Almost a minute into the round, a shot to the groin from Gane momentarily stopped the bout, as Mayes utilized the break to try and slow Gane’s momentum. Out of the break, Mayes landed a nice body kick of his own, but didn’t follow it up with anything of note. Both fighters threw more kicks in round two, with Gane comfortable fighting the fight at range. With a little more than a minute left in the second stanza, Gane landed a takedown, taking top control for the remainder of the round.
Likely down on the scorecards, Mayes looked like he was out of solutions in round three. Gane continued to throw a variety of strikes and march forward, keeping a tiring Mayes off balance while landing consistently. With 90-seconds left a body kick from Gane had Mayes grabbing at his torso and walking backward. Gane then forced Mayes against the cage, dragged him to the ground, and forced Mayes to tap with a heel-hook just before the final horn sounded.
"Did you hear that?! Of course you heard that!"
Sound ⬆️ for THIS body kick #UFCSingapore pic.twitter.com/GURquJfQBA
— UFC (@ufc) October 26, 2019
Result: Ciryl Gane def. Don’tale Mayes by submission (Heel Hook) in Round 3 (4:46)
