UFC Paris: Gane Looks to Return to Form Against Surging Spivac

By
Gabriel Gonzalez
-
Ciryl Gane and Serghei Spivak, UFC Paris
Ciryl Gane and Serghei Spivak, UFC Paris Ceremonial Weigh-Ins. Credit: Patrick McCorry/Cageside Press

French contender Ciryl Gane will once again look to have a homecoming power a return to form as he takes on surging contender Serghei Spivac at UFC Paris.

This should all feel vaguely familiar.  Ciryl Gane, following a tough night out, returns to headline an event in his home country of France as he looks to get back into the win-column.  The fact that “Bon Gamin” finds himself in this position at all feels slightly unusual.  After all, Gane was the contender who entered the UFC after just three fights and went on a tear to become interim heavyweight champion.  Though heralded as the next evolution of heavyweights behind his speed and size, the Frenchman hit the first stumbles of his career in losses to Francis Ngannou and most recently to Jon Jones this past March.

Losses to the aforementioned competition are certainly nothing to be ashamed of when looking at their resumes.  But when one is trying to reach the summit, any setback can feel like the biggest tumble down the proverbial mountain.  Gane remains one of the top talents in the heavyweight division today who has defeated the likes of Derrick Lewis, Junior dos Santos, Tai Tuivasa, and Alexander Volkov.  A victory on Saturday, against the level of opponent he is facing, would be another significant feather in his cap and would keep him on the short list of title contenders.  But once again, it is on him to deliver at home and make the statement.

Serghei Spivac may be seen as the odd man out amidst the throng of contenders, but by Sunday morning he may turn the title picture into a three headed dragon of epic proportions.  “Polar Bear” enters the fight on a three fight finish streak after epic stoppages of all-time knockout leader Derrick Lewis, Augusto Sakai, and Greg Hardy which have emphatically elevated him to the elite.  Add in the fact that his partner Marina Mokhnatkina is also going to be in her first PFL final this November, and it makes saying this has been an amazing twelve months for Spivac a massive understatement.

Even by heavyweight standards, where the size and power of the athletes has always caused more parity, Spivac did not leap off the page early into this UFC career.  While he established a strong 9-0 record prior to entering the Octagon, he went 1-2 in his first three fights that cooled enthusiasm for his title aspirations.  But in hindsight, the skid was perhaps more the growing pains of the then 24 year-old Spivac.  He bounced back from the skid with a three fight win-streak before being halted by fellow elite contender Tom Aspinall.  The loss to the Englishman was a disheartening one for having occurred so quickly, but Spivac’s latest run has ironically crafted him into the most versatile narrative in the picture: He could seek redemption against Aspinall in the near future in what would be another massive fight or collide with knockout machine Sergei Pavlovich in what would undoubtedly be billed as “Which Serg(h)ei Reigns Supreme?”

The winner of the fight will be waiting to see what becomes of the title picture following November.  Reigning champion Jon Jones has teased retirement as he faces the most accomplished UFC heavyweight champion of all-time in Stipe Miocic.  Should Jones call it a career with a victory, or Miocic elect to retire on top, it could open up opportunities for two of the three contenders in Pavlovich, Aspinall, and Gane/Spivac.  With that in mind, Gane or Spivac should undoubtedly wait to see what the UFC chooses to do and if the timing works out for all involved to get into the title picture.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR