UFC Fight Night 209 free fight: Ciryl Gane crushes former champ Junior Dos Santos with elbow

Ciryl Gane was already turning heads after his debut year in the UFC, but his fourth win was a big statement that proved he belonged among the elite of the heavyweight division.

After defeating Raphael Pessoa, Don’Tale Mayes, and Tanner Boser all in 2019, Gane (10-1 MMA, 7-1 UFC) returned for his fourth appearance with the promotion to face former champion Junior Dos Santos in the main card opener of UFC 256 on Dec. 12, 2020.

It was a statement performance from Gane, who styled on the former champ. Gane’s sharp, quick offense paired with smart defense gave Dos Santos trouble as he struggled to land significant offense.

After picking Dos Santos apart, Gane hurt the former champ with strikes in the middle of the second round. The closing sequence soon followed, when Gane landed a hard right elbow that dropped his opponent, leading to the TKO stoppage at 2:34 of Round 2.

Gane returns to home soil to headline UFC Fight Night 209 against Tai Tuivasa on Sept. 3 at Accor Arena in Paris. After ending up on the wrong end of the judges’ scorecards in a title unification bout against Francis Ngannou at UFC 270, Gane will look to rebound from the first loss of his professional career. In the bout prior, Gane claimed the vacant interim title by defeating Derrick Lewis by third-round TKO in Houston at UFC 265.

On the other side, Tuivasa (15-3 MMA, 8-3 UFC) has won five consecutive fights, all by early stoppage. He last fought against Lewis at UFC 271, finishing the fight in the second round by elbow knockout to earn a Performance of the Night bonus.

Check out the full fight from UFC 256 above ahead of UFC Fight Night 209.