Sep 2, 2023; Paris, France; Ciryl Gane (red gloves) leaves the arena after defeating Serghei Spivac (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Accor Arena. Mandatory Credit: Per Haljestam-USA TODAY Sports

mma

Din Thomas Analyzes Ciryl Gane’s UFC 321 Performance; Reveals How This Version Would Have Fared Against Jon Jones

Elite athletes sometimes crumble under the bright lights when everything feels too big to handle. The crowd, the cameras, the celebrities, and the magnitude can overwhelm even seasoned professionals completely. Ciryl Gane experienced exactly that phenomenon when he challenged Jon Jones at UFC 285 in March 2023. The French heavyweight was supposed to provide tough competition for Jones in his heavyweight debut fight. Instead, Jones submitted Gane with a guillotine choke in just over two minutes of action.

The performance shocked everyone who expected a competitive technical striking battle between two skilled heavyweights. Gane looked nothing like the fighter who had dominated his way to a title shot. He later admitted he “was not there” mentally and didn’t recognize his own performance. UFC 321 gave Gane another opportunity to showcase his abilities against champion Tom Aspinall instead. But, it also ended in disaster. Din Thomas analyzed Ciryl Gane’s 321 performance.. The veteran analyst believes Gane looked like a completely different fighter in Abu Dhabi.

Din Thomas Believes Ciryl Gane Was Starstruck At UFC 285

Din Thomas provided fascinating insight into why Ciryl Gane looked so poor against Jon Jones years ago. The UFC analyst believes Gane was completely starstruck by the massive occasion and celebrity presence at UFC 285. That March 2023 event in Las Vegas featured an absolutely star-studded audience that could intimidate anyone.

Donald Trump sat cageside watching the action unfold alongside numerous other high-profile celebrities and athletes. Tom Brady attended as well, adding even more mainstream attention to an already massive championship fight. The atmosphere inside T-Mobile Arena felt electric with anticipation for Jones’s heavyweight debut against the technical Frenchman. Talking to Submission Radio, this is what Thomas said:

“That poor performance wasn’t based on his skill set. That was based on because he was so shook at MSG. Donald Trump out there, Tom Brady out there. This man was completely shook”

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Submission Radio (@submissionradio)

Thomas noted that Gane looked like he didn’t even want to fight that night against Jones. His body language looked off and he was nervous rather than the calm confidence he usually displays. Gane’s movement seemed stiff and his timing was completely off from the opening bell. He allowed Jones to close distance easily and initiate the clinch that led to the submission. The French striker never found his rhythm or established his jab that typically controls distance perfectly. Thomas believes the mental pressure of that moment overwhelmed Gane more than Jones’s actual skills did.

A Different Gane Showed Up At UFC 321

Ciryl Gane looked completely revitalized at UFC 321 against Tom Aspinall before the unfortunate eye poke ended everything. Din Thomas observed that Gane’s striking was sharp, his footwork was excellent, and his confidence was obvious. The French heavyweight was finding his range effectively and bloodying Aspinall’s nose with his jab early. Gane was moving fluidly, mixing up his attacks, and implementing his game plan perfectly through four minutes. Thomas noted the stark contrast between this performance and the Jones fight was immediately apparent.

“ I think Ciryl Gane would do better against Jon Jones today than he did back then.”

Thomas wasn’t suggesting Gane would have beaten Jones necessarily, but the fight would have been interesting. A mentally prepared Gane with his full skillset engaged presents real problems for anyone at heavyweight. His reach, technical striking, and footwork create difficult puzzles that require time to solve completely. Jones might still have found a way to win through his superior wrestling and fight IQ. But it wouldn’t have been over in two minutes with Gane looking helpless and overwhelmed.

(Image Credit: Per Haljestam – Imagn Images)

Ciryl Gane

Din Thomas

Jon Jones

Tom Aspinall

UFC 321

Zaid Quraishi

mma

I am a dedicated MMA and Boxing content writer at The Playoffs. I was instantly hooked on MMA after watching the fight between Lyoto Machida vs. Gegard Mousasi back in 2014, and since then, i have been an avid writer with a deep love for the sport and its techniques, providing readers with a thorough understanding of the sport. My favorite aspect of working at The Playoffs is the creative freedom it provides. The diverse range of topics, from listicles and SEO to news articles, keeps me engaged and motivates me to continuously improve my skills! I aim to capture the excitement of the combat sports world in my writing, acting as the middleman between fighters and their die-hard fans. It is kind of like a referee, but with words!