UFC commentator Joe Rogan has been known for years as one of the main voices of MMA. He knows his stuff, which is evident in his analysis of UFC fights and big moments inside the octagon. One UFC heavyweight caught the eye of Rogan specifically; interim UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane.
Gane defeated Derrick Lewis for the interim title at UFC 265, knocking him out and dominating him for three rounds. Lewis had all kinds of issues dealing with Gane’s movement and speed on the feet, faltering and getting knocked out in the third round after a barrage from the Frenchman.
Rogan was not present to watch the UFC 265 main event at cage-side, a rarity for UFC events. Despite being on his comedy tour the night of the fight, Rogan feels the Gane is a generational talent who could become the biggest name in the UFC heavyweight division.
“Occasionally you’ll see a fighter that elevates the standard,” Rogan said during a recent episode of his podcast. “He shut Derrick Lewis out. Ciryl Gane moves like a 170 pounder. He bounces around in the cage like [Stephen “Wonderboy” Thompson]. There’s no question he’s the best moving heavyweight I’ve ever seen. His movement in terms of closing the distance… I was severely impressed.”
Gane is an undefeated 10-0 in his MMA career with big wins over Lewis, Alexander Volkov, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik, to name a few. He’s expected to fight current heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou at a later date, barring some unforeseen circumstance.
Rogan is also a big fan of Ngannou as well as Gane, praising his power and ferociousness inside the octagon. A matchup between Ngannou and Gane will surely be one of the biggest fights in UFC heavyweight history and could dictate the title picture for years to come.
What are your thoughts on Joe Rogan’s comments regarding Ciryl Gane?