UFC 310 Raid Review: Ciryl Gane isn’t just stagnating – he’s getting worse

It wasn’t too long ago that Ciryl Gane was the obvious future of the heavyweight division.

In 2021, the 31-year-old Gane enjoyed a three-fight winning streak against established top heavyweights, including his UFC 310 opponent Alexander Volkov. The young French player not only won, he was also absolutely dominant. He defeated Volkov and Jairzinho Rozenstruik 50-45 and then brutally outclassed Derrick Lewis and it was clear that the future had arrived. Gane was the clear successor to then champion Francis Ngannou and at the same time the biggest threat to his title reign.

Since then, Gane has fallen short to Ngannou and Jon Jones, which are two completely understandable losses. Even more worrying than the results on paper is that Gane is stagnating on a technical level. It’s doubtful he’s getting worse, and a rematch with Volkov three years later was perfect proof that he’s fallen from grace.

Really, Volkov is an excellent foil for Gane, another fellow kickboxer with about a fifth of the physical talent. “Drago” will never be as fast or as powerful as “Bon Gamin.” Gane was only fighting him in his ninth professional fight, while Volkov had already fought over 40 fights in his professional MMA career.

This is the kind of loss that shatters dreams. How is an older fighter with more experience supposed to get better faster than his younger counterpart? It defies all common sense and the exceptions (like Michael Bisping vs. Luke Rockhold) are memorable for their rarity.

In this case, it is clear that Volkov has risen to the challenge and strived for small improvements over the last three years. His progress has been evident in his recent winning streak, such as his emphatic victory over his former training partner and feared puncher Sergei Pavlovich. “Drago” is getting sharper and more strategic, and he brought that intensity to this rematch.

Gane…not so much. In the first fight, Volkov’s speed and counterattacks almost immediately put him on the defensive. In this game, as the Russian became more focused on pushing forward, Gane abandoned the halfway line and was unable to dictate the change of play. Immediately, the dynamic was different and worse for the French fighter.

Gane feels stagnant on his feet. Most of his kicking tricks remain unchanged and his boxing is still based more on athleticism than form. He doesn’t throw combinations, but still has good timing. It’s the same strategy we saw in his first UFC winning streak, with perhaps a little less confidence after he got injured a few times.

As for wrestling/grappling? Gane’s takedown defense was decent as usual, but his decision making was abysmal. It appears that Gane suffered an injury at some point in the fight, which would normally excuse some of his more lackluster moments. However, there is no injury in the book that forces a fighter to repeatedly fall for guillotines, kimuras, and heel hooks in close combat.

Gane’s comeback from a heel hook in the first round was a stunning moment. The exact same decision cost him the fifth round – and with it the decision and with it the undisputed title – against Ngannou almost three years ago, and is he doing it again? For no reason and no tiring factor? Good fighters don’t get caught in a heel hook! It’s almost always a bad idea for all but absolute specialists to give up top positions to achieve the leg lock, and even then it doesn’t work at the elite level.

This moment serves as stunning evidence of larger problems. I don’t know if Gane’s concentration continues to be an issue or if he has simply maximized his talents at the MMA Factory. Whatever the case, he was very lucky to get the decision here in a fight he was massively favored, which is the case not a good sign for his title ambitions.

Gane is still talented enough to right the ship, but something has to change.

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