Ciryl Gane a Bad Matchup For Alex Pereira? Francis Ngannou Seems to Think So
Francis Ngannou believes Alex Pereira is heading into one of the toughest stylistic challenges of his career against Ciryl Gane in June. Speaking with TMZ , Ngannou offered his take on the upcoming interim UFC heavyweight title fight between Pereira and Gane at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14 in Washington, D. C.
, and drew on his own firsthand experience facing the Frenchman to explain why he sees the matchup favoring Gane. Pereira is bidding to become the first three-division UFC champion, having previously held titles at light heavyweight and middleweight. He knocked out Magomed Ankalaev in his most recent outing to claim a second reign at 205 pounds before setting his sights on heavyweight gold.
A win over Gane would cement his place as one of the most accomplished fighters in UFC history. Ngannou, however, thinks the road to that milestone will be far from straightforward. In his final UFC appearance four years ago, Ngannou defeated Gane via unanimous decision to retain the heavyweight title, but was forced to lean heavily on his wrestling after struggling to solve Gane’s footwork and technical striking in the early rounds.
He expects Pereira to encounter those same problems. Could Ciryl Gane’s distance game be a problem for Alex Pereira? Per Haljestam-Imagn Images “It’s gonna be an interesting fight.
Alex Pereira is big enough; he is a heavyweight,” Ngannou said. “Gane moves a lot; he’s fast. Pereira will be more stiff, stable, and strong, solid.