Ciryl Gane eyes September return after UFC 285 title defeat, future fight with Sergei Pavlovich
Ciryl Gane is eyeing a return to the Octagon two months removed from his shocking first-round submission loss at the hands of Jon Jones.
With the UFC heavyweight championship vacated following the departure of former titleholder Francis Ngannou, Ciryl Gane was once again the recipient of an opportunity to capture his first piece of UFC told. Standing in his way would be Jon Jones, the former 205-pound king who was making his long-awaited heavyweight debut. Fans expecting a back-and-forth striking war instead were left stunned after ‘Bones’ locked in a guillotine choke, forcing Gane to submit just past the two-minute mark of the very first round.
Since then, ‘Bon Gamin’ has been working to improve his game en route to another potential UFC title opportunity down the line. Speaking with James Lynch, Ciryl Gane’s coach and the proprietor of MMA Factory in France, Fernand Lopez, revealed that they are targeting a return in September. As for who they expect to face, Lopez suggested streaking heavyweight knockout artist Sergei Pavlovich.
“Sergei Pavlovich would be a good opponent,” Lopez suggested.
Could Ciryl Gane End Sergei Pavlovich’s Impressive Knockout Streak?
The 18-1 Russian standout is currently riding a six-fight win streak inside the Octagon, all coming via knockout in the very first round. In his most recent appearance, Pavlovich dispatched Curtis Blaydes in just over three minutes during a UFC Fight Night main event in April. Prior to that, he earned KOs over notable heavyweight stars including Derrick Lewis and Tai Tuivasa.
The victory over Blaydes moved Pavlovich into the No. 2 spot on the heavyweight rankings, one spot behind one-time interim champion Ciryl Gane. Previously, Pavlovich indicated he would wait for the winner of a potential heavyweight showdown between titleholder Jon Jones and general consensus heavyweight GOAT Stipe Miocic. The probability that both of those fighters hang up their gloves once their fight is in the books could encourage Pavlovich to take another fight in the division before securing his inevitable title opportunity.
Would you like to see Ciryl Gane take on Sergei Pavlovich later this year?
