Ciryl Gane

Ciryl Gane

Ciryl Romain Gane (born April 12, 1990) is a French professional mixed martial artist, actor, and former Muay Thai fighter. He currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he is the current UFC Heavyweight Champion. A professional since 2014, Gane has also formerly competed for TKO Major League MMA where he was the Heavyweight Champion. As of June 23, 2026, he is #10 in the UFC men's pound-for-pound rankings.

Early life

Ciryl Gane

Gane was born in La Roche-sur-Yon in the Vendée department. His paternal family has roots in the French overseas department of Guadeloupe. His father, Romain Gane was a bus driver, and footballer in the Division d'Honneur. As a youth, Ciryl played football and basketball. Despite his sporting talent, he decided to work in sales at a furniture store and he joined a work-study program in Paris. During this time, a former classmate introduced him to Muay Thai.

Muay Thai career

Ciryl Gane

Gane made his professional debut on June 4, 2016, in a AFMT Muay thai heavyweight title fight against Jérémy Jeanne. He won the fight by a second-round knockout.

After a decision win against Samih Bachar, Gane was scheduled to fight the K-1 veteran Brice Guidon at La Nuit Des Titans. He beat Guidon by a third-round knockout.

Gane was scheduled to defend his AFMT title against Jonathan Gengoul at Muay Thai Spirit 5. He won the fight by a first-round knockout.

At Warriors Night, Gane beat Bangaly Keita by a third-round knockout. He was then scheduled to fight the multiple-time WBC Muaythai champion Yassine Boughanem at Duel 2. Gane won the fight by decision.

Mixed martial arts career

Early career

Coached by Fernand Lopez, Ciryl Gane made his professional MMA debut in 2018. He was first contracted to the Canadian MMA promotion TKO, where his first fight was for the vacant TKO heavyweight championship, against Bobby Sullivan. He won the title fight in the first round through a front choke.

He defended the heavyweight championship a month later against Adam Dyczka, winning the fight in the second round via a TKO. His third fight in TKO, and his second title defense, was against Roggers Souza, which he won in the first round by a TKO.

2019

Gane made his promotional debut on August 10, 2019, at UFC Fight Night: Shevchenko vs. Carmouche 2 against Raphael Pessoa. Gane won the fight by an arm triangle choke at the end of the first round.

Gane faced Don'Tale Mayes on October 26, 2019, at UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Askren. Gane won the fight via a heel hook in the third round, earning him a Performance of the Night bonus.

Gane faced Tanner Boser on December 21, 2019, at UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. The Korean Zombie. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

2020

Gane was scheduled to face Shamil Abdurakhimov on April 18, 2020, at UFC 249. However, on March 5, 2020, it was announced that Gane was forced to pull out from the event after suffering pneumothorax during training. The bout was eventually rescheduled for July 11, 2020, at UFC 251. Subsequently, the pairing was cancelled a second time and scrapped from this event in mid-June as Abdurakhimov was removed from the bout for undisclosed reasons. In turn, Gane was expected to face Sergei Pavlovich on August 8, 2020, at UFC Fight Night 174. Pavlovich however had to pull out because of an injury. Therefore the original fight against Shamil Abdurakhimov was scheduled again on September 26, 2020, at UFC 253; however, the bout was rescheduled again to UFC Fight Night 180 on October 18, 2020. The bout fell through once again as Abdurakhimov pulled out due to undisclosed reasons on September 28, 2020, and he was replaced by promotional newcomer Ante Delija. On October 14, 2020, it was announced that the bout was cancelled due to Delija's contractual problems with his previous deal with the PFL.

Gane faced Junior dos Santos on December 12, 2020, at UFC 256. He won the fight via technical knockout in the second round.

2021

Gane faced Jairzinho Rozenstruik on February 27, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 186. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Gane faced Alexander Volkov on June 26, 2021, at UFC Fight Night 190. He won the fight via unanimous decision.

Gane faced Derrick Lewis on August 7, 2021, at UFC 265 for the Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship. He won the one-sided fight via technical knockout in round three. This fight earned him the Performance of the Night award.

2022

Gane faced Francis Ngannou for the UFC Heavyweight Championship on January 22, 2022, at UFC 270. Gane was ahead after the first two rounds, but Ngannou switched to wrestling and controlled him for the majority rounds three through five. He lost the fight via unanimous decision, marking his first defeat in any martial arts competition.

Gane faced Tai Tuivasa on September 3, 2022, at UFC Fight Night 209. He won the fight via knockout in round three. This fight earned him the Fight of the Night award.

2023

Gane faced Jon Jones for the vacant UFC Heavyweight Championship on March 4, 2023, at UFC 285. He lost via a guillotine choke submission in the first round.

Gane faced Serghei Spivac on September 2, 2023, at UFC Fight Night 226. He won the fight via TKO in the second round. The win also earned Gane his third Performance of the Night bonus award.

2024

Gane was scheduled to face former Bellator Heavyweight World Champion Alexander Volkov in a rematch on October 26, 2024 at UFC 308. However, due to Volkov's knee injury, the bout was moved and took place on December 7, 2024 at UFC 310. Gane won the close fight by a controversial split decision. 19 out of 20 media outlets scored the bout for Volkov. UFC CEO Dana White apologized to Volkov after the bout saying he thought Volkov had won the bout and the head of the commission explained to White what was thought to be the reasoning of the judges' scorecards.

2025

Gane competed for the heavyweight championship for the third time against current champion Tom Aspinall on October 25, 2025 at UFC 321. During a competitive first round with both men exchanging, Gane extended his hand poking Aspinall in both eyes. Aspinall was unable to continue and the fight was ruled a no contest.

2026

Gane won the interim heavyweight championship against former UFC Middleweight and two-time UFC Light Heavyweight champion Alex Pereira on June 14, 2026 at UFC Freedom 250. He won the championship by technical knockout in the second round. This fight earned him a $425,000 Performance of the Night award.

After Tom Aspinall vacated his title due to lingering medical complications, Gane was promoted to undisputed heavyweight champion, and is scheduled to make his first defence on November 14, 2026 at UFC 334 against Josh Hokit.

Fighting style

Ciryl Gane

Gane is an orthodox heavyweight striker with a background in Muay Thai. At 6 ft 4 in with an 81 in reach, he uses unusually light footwork for the division, fighting mostly at long range behind jabs, feints, front kicks and round kicks to the leg, body and head.

His striking is generally based more on movement, volume and setups than on one-punch exchanges. He often uses small feints, stance adjustments and hand movement to draw reactions before attacking with his jab, low kicks, body kicks or lead-leg front kicks. Unlike many heavyweights, Gane rarely relies on extended boxing combinations in the pocket, instead preferring short entries, exits, angle changes and kicks to maintain distance.

In grappling exchanges, Gane has shown some offensive submission ability early in his MMA career, but his overall game is still primarily striking-oriented. His wrestling and defensive grappling have been viewed as the less developed parts of his style, especially when opponents are able to close distance, force clinches or hold top position.

Filmography

Ciryl Gane

Ciryl Gane stars as Bastien in the movie KO. He is also in the 2025 film, "Den of Thieves 2" starring O'Shea Jackson Jr. and Gerard Butler.". In 2025, Gane served as an MMA judge on a French reality TV show broadcast by Netflix in 2026, l'Arène.

Personal life

Ciryl Gane

Gane and his wife have two daughters. They live in Nogent-sur-Marne, in the eastern suburbs of Paris.

Championships and accomplishments

Muay Thai

• Académie Française de Muay Thai • AFMT National Title +91 kg (+201 lb) (One time) • One successful title defense

Mixed martial arts

• Ultimate Fighting Championship • UFC Heavyweight Champion (One time, current) • Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship (Two times) • Second ever UFC fighter to win an Interim Championship twice (after Justin Gaethje) • Performance of the Night (Four times) vs. Don'Tale Mayes, Derrick Lewis, Serghei Spivac and Alex Pereira • Fight of the Night (One time) vs. Tai Tuivasa • Tied (Andrei Arlovski & Cain Velasquez) for second longest win streak in UFC Heavyweight division history (7) • Fifth most significant strikes landed in UFC Heavyweight division history (983) • Second highest significant strike accuracy in UFC Heavyweight division history (61.7%) (behind Alistair Overeem) • Fourth highest striking differential in UFC Heavyweight division history (3.09) • Fourth highest significant strike defense in UFC Heavyweight division history (60.9%) • UFC.com Awards • 2019: Ranked #2 Newcomer of the Year • 2021: Ranked #3 Fighter of the Year • 2022: Ranked #7 Fight of the Year vs. Tai Tuivasa • TKO Major League MMA • TKO World Heavyweight Championship (One time) • Two successful title defenses • Sherdog • 2021 Breakthrough Fighter of the Year • MMA Sucka • 2021 Breakout Fighter of the Year

Mixed martial arts record

Ciryl Gane

<table><thead><tr><th>Res.</th><th>Record</th><th>Opponent</th><th>Method</th><th>Event</th><th>Date</th><th>Round</th><th>Time</th><th>Location</th><th>Notes</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Win</td><td>14–2 (1)</td><td>Alex Pereira</td><td>TKO (punches)</td><td>UFC Freedom 250</td><td>June 14, 2026</td><td>2</td><td>1:27</td><td>Washington, D.C., United States</td><td>Won the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship. Performance of the Night. Later promoted to undisputed champion.</td></tr><tr><td>NC</td><td>13–2 (1)</td><td>Tom Aspinall</td><td>NC (eye poke)</td><td>UFC 321</td><td>October 25, 2025</td><td>1</td><td>4:35</td><td>Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates</td><td>For the UFC Heavyweight Championship. An eye poke rendered Aspinall unable to continue.</td></tr><tr><td>Win</td><td>13–2</td><td>Alexander Volkov</td><td>Decision (split)</td><td>UFC 310</td><td>December 7, 2024</td><td>3</td><td>5:00</td><td>Las Vegas, Nevada, United States</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Win</td><td>12–2</td><td>Serghei Spivac</td><td>TKO (punches)</td><td>UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Spivac</td><td>September 2, 2023</td><td>2</td><td>3:44</td><td>Paris, France</td><td>Performance of the Night.</td></tr><tr><td>Loss</td><td>11–2</td><td>Jon Jones</td><td>Submission (guillotine choke)</td><td>UFC 285</td><td>March 4, 2023</td><td>1</td><td>2:04</td><td>Las Vegas, Nevada, United States</td><td>For the vacant UFC Heavyweight Championship.</td></tr><tr><td>Win</td><td>11–1</td><td>Tai Tuivasa</td><td>KO (punches)</td><td>UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Tuivasa</td><td>September 3, 2022</td><td>3</td><td>4:23</td><td>Paris, France</td><td>Fight of the Night.</td></tr><tr><td>Loss</td><td>10–1</td><td>Francis Ngannou</td><td>Decision (unanimous)</td><td>UFC 270</td><td>January 22, 2022</td><td>5</td><td>5:00</td><td>Anaheim, California, United States</td><td>For the UFC Heavyweight Championship.</td></tr><tr><td>Win</td><td>10–0</td><td>Derrick Lewis</td><td>TKO (punches)</td><td>UFC 265</td><td>August 7, 2021</td><td>3</td><td>4:11</td><td>Houston, Texas, United States</td><td>Won the interim UFC Heavyweight Championship. Performance of the Night.</td></tr><tr><td>Win</td><td>9–0</td><td>Alexander Volkov</td><td>Decision (unanimous)</td><td>UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Volkov</td><td>June 26, 2021</td><td>5</td><td>5:00</td><td>Las Vegas, Nevada, United States</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Win</td><td>8–0</td><td>Jairzinho Rozenstruik</td><td>Decision (unanimous)</td><td>UFC Fight Night: Rozenstruik vs. Gane</td><td>February 27, 2021</td><td>5</td><td>5:00</td><td>Las Vegas, Nevada, United States</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Win</td><td>7–0</td><td>Junior dos Santos</td><td>TKO (elbow)</td><td>UFC 256</td><td>December 12, 2020</td><td>2</td><td>2:34</td><td>Las Vegas, Nevada, United States</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Win</td><td>6–0</td><td>Tanner Boser</td><td>Decision (unanimous)</td><td>UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. The Korean Zombie</td><td>December 21, 2019</td><td>3</td><td>5:00</td><td>Busan, South Korea</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Win</td><td>5–0</td><td>Don'Tale Mayes</td><td>Submission (heel hook)</td><td>UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Askren</td><td>October 26, 2019</td><td>3</td><td>4:46</td><td>Kallang, Singapore</td><td>Performance of the Night.</td></tr><tr><td>Win</td><td>4–0</td><td>Raphael Pessoa</td><td>Submission (arm-triangle choke)</td><td>UFC Fight Night: Shevchenko vs. Carmouche 2</td><td>August 10, 2019</td><td>1</td><td>4:12</td><td>Montevideo, Uruguay</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Win</td><td>3–0</td><td>Roggers Souza</td><td>TKO (punches)</td><td>TKO 48</td><td>May 24, 2019</td><td>1</td><td>4:26</td><td>Gatineau, Quebec, Canada</td><td>Defended the TKO Heavyweight Championship.</td></tr><tr><td>Win</td><td>2–0</td><td>Adam Dyczka</td><td>TKO (punches)</td><td>TKO 44</td><td>September 21, 2018</td><td>2</td><td>4:57</td><td>Québec City, Quebec, Canada</td><td>Defended the TKO Heavyweight Championship.</td></tr><tr><td>Win</td><td>1–0</td><td>Bobby Sullivan</td><td>Submission (guillotine choke)</td><td>TKO Fight Night 1</td><td>August 2, 2018</td><td>1</td><td>1:42</td><td>Montreal, Quebec, Canada</td><td>Heavyweight debut. Won the vacant TKO Heavyweight Championship.</td></tr></tbody></table>

Pay-per-view bouts

Ciryl Gane

No.	Event	Fight	Date	Venue	City	PPV Buys
1.	UFC 265	Lewis vs. Gane	August 7, 2021	Toyota Center	Houston, Texas, United States	Not Disclosed
2.	UFC 270	Ngannou vs. Gane	January 22, 2022	Honda Center	Anaheim, California, United States	Not Disclosed
3.	UFC 285	Jones vs. Gane	March 4, 2023	T-Mobile Arena	Las Vegas, Nevada, United States	Not Disclosed
4.	UFC 321	Aspinall vs. Gane	October 25, 2025	Etihad Arena	Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates	Not Disclosed

Muay Thai record

Ciryl Gane

<table><thead><tr><th colspan="9">13 Wins (9 (T)KOs, 4 Decisions), 0 Losses, 0 Draws</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><th>Date</th><th>Result</th><th>Opponent</th><th>Event</th><th>Location</th><th>Method</th><th>Round</th><th>Time</th><th>Record</th></tr><tr><td>June 9, 2018</td><td>Win</td><td>Daniel Lentie</td><td>La Nuit De l'Impact IV</td><td>Saintes, France</td><td>TKO</td><td>1</td><td>N/A</td><td>13–0</td></tr><tr><td>October 28, 2017</td><td>Win</td><td>Yassine Boughanem</td><td>Duel 2</td><td>Paris, France</td><td>Decision</td><td>3</td><td>3:00</td><td>12–0</td></tr><tr><td>May 27, 2017</td><td>Win</td><td>Bangaly Keita</td><td>Warriors Night</td><td>Paris, France</td><td>TKO</td><td>3</td><td>N/A</td><td>11–0</td></tr><tr><td>April 22, 2017</td><td>Win</td><td>Jonathan Gengoul</td><td>Muay Thai Spirit 5</td><td>Les Herbiers, France</td><td>KO</td><td>1</td><td>N/A</td><td>10–0</td></tr><tr><th colspan="9">Defended the AFMT Muay thai National Title +201 lb (+91 kg)</th></tr><tr><td>March 18, 2017</td><td>Win</td><td>Brice Guidon</td><td>La Nuit Des Titans</td><td>Tours, France</td><td>TKO</td><td>3</td><td>N/A</td><td>9–0</td></tr><tr><td>November 5, 2016</td><td>Win</td><td>Samih Bachar</td><td>Gala des 5 Nations</td><td>Nanterre, France</td><td>Decision</td><td>3</td><td>3:00</td><td>8–0</td></tr><tr><td>June 4, 2016</td><td>Win</td><td>Jérémy Jeanne</td><td>Hurricane Fighting 3</td><td>Châlons-en-Champagne, France</td><td>TKO</td><td>2</td><td>N/A</td><td>7–0</td></tr><tr><th colspan="9">Won the AFMT Muay thai National Title +201 lb (+91 kg)</th></tr><tr><td>April 2, 2016</td><td>Win</td><td>Imed Souissi</td><td>8e Défi des Champions</td><td>M’Saken, Tunisie</td><td>KO</td><td>1</td><td>N/A</td><td>6–0</td></tr><tr><td>December 10, 2015</td><td>Win</td><td>Brandon Mobi</td><td>Paris Fight</td><td>Paris, France</td><td>Decision</td><td>3</td><td>3:00</td><td>5–0</td></tr><tr><td>October 31, 2015</td><td>Win</td><td>Brandon Mobi</td><td>Show Thaï 13</td><td>Aubervilliers, France</td><td>Decision</td><td>3</td><td>3:00</td><td>4–0</td></tr><tr><td>May 8, 2015</td><td>Win</td><td>Jonathan Gengoul</td><td>Show Thaï 12</td><td>Aubervilliers, France</td><td>KO</td><td>2</td><td>N/A</td><td>3–0</td></tr><tr><td>February 15, 2015</td><td>Win</td><td>Yann Kouadja</td><td>Super Fight</td><td>Paris, France</td><td>KO</td><td>2</td><td>N/A</td><td>2–0</td></tr><tr><td>November 1, 2014</td><td>Win</td><td>Cyril Omahri</td><td>Show Thaï 10</td><td>Aubervilliers, France</td><td>KO</td><td>1</td><td>N/A</td><td>1–0</td></tr><tr><td colspan="9">Legend:   Win   Loss   Draw/No contest   Notes Source: muaythaitv.fr</td></tr></tbody></table>