Ciryl Gane demonstrated his superiority in the cage at UFC Fight Night 226, defeating Sergey Spivak in the second round. The 33-year-old Frenchman’s victory at Accor Arena solidified his position among the Ultimate Fighting Championship’s heavyweight elite. Spivak (16-4, 7-4 UFC) met his end 3:44 into Round 2, losing for the first time in nearly two years.
Gane (12-2, 9-2 UFC) showcased near-flawless execution in his first appearance since being defeated by Jon Jones in March. He effectively shut down Spivak’s attempted takedown in the first round, and proceeded to deliver a relentless onslaught of punishing blows to his opponent’s head and body. Gane eventually cornered Spivak against the fence in Round 2, landing a brutal knee to his opponent’s midsection and initiating the finishing sequence. Unanswered standing hammerfists and savage punches eventually led referee Marc Goddard to call for the stoppage.
Fiorot Downs Namajunas, Pushes Streak to 11
Manon Fiorot took another step towards a potential title shot at 125 pounds after securing a unanimous decision over Rose Namajunas in the three-round women’s flyweight co-main event. Fiorot (11-1, 6-0 UFC) swept the scorecards with 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28 marks from the cageside judges. Namajunas (11-6, 9-5 UFC), a two-time UFC women’s strawweight champion, struggled to close the size and strength gap between the two fighters. Despite suffering an apparent finger injury, Fiorot maintained her composure and effectively utilized her punishing jab, combinations, and impenetrable takedown defense to frustrate her opponent. Fiorot is now on an 11-fight winning streak.
Surging St. Denis Mauls Moises
Benoit St. Denis succeeded in defeating former Resurrection Fighting Alliance champion Thiago Moises with a series of punches in the second round of their lightweight showcase. Moises (17-7, 6-5 UFC) was defeated 4:44 into Round 2, marking his third loss in five appearances. St. Denis (12-1, 4-1 UFC) quickly took control of the fight, crowding Moises in the clinch and striking with takedown and elbow combinations. The middle stanza saw St. Denis continue his dominant performance, ultimately forcing Moises to the ground and finishing him with a barrage of unanswered right hands to the head. St. Denis has now recorded four straight wins.
In other fights, Volkan Oezdemir rebounded from a loss to Nikita Krylov by defeating Bogdan Guskov with a rear-naked choke in the first round of their light heavyweight bout. William Gomis controversially defeated Yani Ghemmouri with a body kick that appeared to stray south of the border in the third round of their featherweight fight. Morgan Charriere put away Manolo Zecchini with a series of brutal body kicks and follow-up punches in the first round of their featherweight contest.