Daniel Cormier recently explained why Jon Jones is the most dangerous opponent for Ciryl Gane. No one has found an answer to the undefeated interim UFC heavyweight champion. Gane’s slick footwork, technical striking and agility have been impossible to counter but Cormier competed and reigned over the UFC’s heavyweight and light heavyweight division for years and he thinks that his former foe Jones can match Gane’s athleticism.

“This is crazy coming from me – Jon Jones,” Cormier said on his ESPN show DC & RC. “Jon Jones is the guy that will present the most problems to Ciryl Gane. Why? Because Jon Jones has fought at 205, Jon Jones has the skill of a little guy, Jon Jones has seen athletes before. 

Jon Jones beat me twice. I’m an athlete. He’s seen the speed, he’s seen the foot movement and the angles, he’s had to deal with guys like that before. Now can he handle that at a weight class above? I don’t know. But I truly believe that Jones is one of the guys that truly can give Ciryl Gane problems, but I don’t know who beats him. I think Francis has his hands full.”

Ciryl Gane stopped Derrick Lewis in the third round and became the interim UFC heavyweight champion at UFC 265 on August 7. Gane is the first France-born UFC champion. He has a small professional MMA record of 10-0 (7-0 in the UFC) but he’s a familiar name for Muay Thai fans. A former champion in that discipline, the French went a perfect 7-0 in Muay Thai before transitioning into MMA and he’s used to competing at the highest level throughout his career.

A former TKO heavyweight champion, Gane has seven wins by either KO/TKO or submission in his career. Tanner Boser at UFC Fight Night 165 on December 21st, 2019, Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC Vegas 20 on February 27th and Alexander Volkov at UFC Vegas 30 on June 26th are the only fighters able to take Gane to the judge’s scorecards.

Born: May 6, 1990

Age: 31

Country: France

Height: 6’5″

Weight: 245 lbs

Reach: 81″

Stance: Orthodox

Association: MMA Factory

Class: Heavyweight

Record: 10-0