Gane: ‘Everyone knows’ Black Beast Is ‘Not Well-Rounded’

Ciryl Gane gives credit to Derrick Lewis’ power, but not so much his versatility ahead of their UFC 265 headliner.

There is no denying Derrick Lewis has freakish power; however, Ciryl Gane believes the key to beating the “Black Beast” has been replicated many times ahead of their UFC 265 clash.

Gane (9-0) will fight Derrick Lewis (25-7-0-1) in the main event of UFC 265, taking place at the Toyota Center in Houston, TX on Sat., Aug. 7 via ESPN+ pay-per-view (PPV). The winner will be next in line for a title shot against reigning UFC Heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. Gane (no. 3) concedes that Lewis (no. 2) is deserving of his position in the rankings, but argues that his weaknesses are exploitable.

“Yes, 100 percent he is one of the best guys in this division,” Gane tells MMAMania.com of Lewis. “He’s not well-rounded. When you have someone who cannot fight everywhere like me or [Alexander] Volkov or guys like that, it’s not good for him. That’s why sometimes it didn’t work [out for Lewis].

“I think it’s going to be the same game plan. Maybe he’ll try wrestling or something like that. But everyone knows what his strengths are. He has big power with each hand. Everyone knows that. You have to be careful of that.”

Gane, 31, played football, basketball and soccer during his youth in his native France. He did not immediately pursue athletics. Instead, Gane worked in sales at a furniture store before a former classmate introduced him to Muay Thai.

“I wasn’t ready to be a professional [athlete]. I don’t know why. Sports were just a pleasure for me. When I was young, I didn’t want to be an athlete. I didn’t want to have the pressure or something like that. For me, sport is just a pleasure,” he explains. “When I was 24, I was [working] in this furniture [store]. It’s really crazy because I’m an athletic guy and it’s easy for me to do any sport. I said, ‘Okay, let’s go. I’m going to try it.’”

Gane, who was born in La Roche-sur-Yon in Western France, also touched on his father’s roots in Guadeloupe, an island group of French regions in the southern Caribbean Sea.

“It’s a Caribbean Island. It’s very beautiful,” he shares enthusiastically. “The weather is always hot. You have beautiful seas, forests and mountains. Everything is beautiful. My father lived there. It’s part of myself.”

Had fun? Click here to read more exclusive interviews.