Ciryl Gane did not have a fun performance against Jairzinho Roenstruik. What was supposed to be hard-hitting contest between two heavyweights turned out to be a plodding 25-minute affair. Neither man showed much activity, but Gane won the unanimous decision for being more active. Dana White was not impressed by the fight though.

White criticized Gane by saying, “Everybody’s talking about Ciryl being this big contender, but look at what Francis Ngannou did to Jairzinho. This was his coming-out party and his chance to show the world who he is. He won, but let’s leave it at that. He won.” (h/t MMAJunkie).

However, Gane understood White’s criticism while defending himself by saying he went to knock his opponent out but was unable to do so.

“I can understand that. (Dana White) is the boss, and he wants to make money, so you want the guy marketable. The people want the show. They want the big KO. So yes, I don’t finish the fight. I tried, but I don’t do it. I can understand that (criticism), but I’m OK.”

Ciryl Gane: Poor impression in his first featured bout?

It doesn’t seem that long ago when Gane debuted in the UFC. He was on the main card for Ben Askren’s final UFC fight against Demian Maia. He has evolved since and is a genuine top contender in the division. Despite having had just 8 professional fights, Gane looks like an absolute terror.

However, this was the first time he got a chance to main event. Considering the performances we have seen from Jairzinho and Ciryl before this fight, expectations were naturally high. However, both fighters were wary of the other’s power and didn’t end up delivering the brutal fight that most fans had been expecting.

READ MORE: Ciryl Gane Says Power Punching Will Not Help Francis Ngannou Against Stipe Miocic

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While it is a bad impression, it isn’t over for Gane. His natural charisma will continue to help him rise up the ranks in the sport. After all, Chris Weidman was just 9-0 when he took down Anderson Silva. If Gane can recover from this lackluster showing, he will definitely have a very bright UFC career ahead of him.