UFC heavyweight elite Ciryl Gane is gearing up to face veteran Derrick Lewis for the interim heavyweight title at UFC 265. They will headline the event set to take place inside Toyota Center in Houston, Texas on Saturday, August 07.

Along with the interim title belt, the winner is a certainty to face the reigning heavyweight champion, Francis Ngannou next. While the interim title belt announcement came as a shocker for Ngannou, his hit-and-miss relationship with UFC is the reason this fight got booked.

Gane, who used to train with Ngannou, could face his ex-teammate if he gets past ‘The Black Beast’. While a fight with Ngannou would surely elevate Gane’s ever-increasing ambiance, he instead wants to focus more on the body of work than his opponent.

In an interview with MMA Mania, the Frenchman detailed how he wants to build his legacy. “I don’t want one fight. I don’t want one fighter, I want to fight everybody,” he said. “This is a sport for me. Every fight I’ve had, I’ve fought with a good feeling, not with a bad feeling.”

“I just want to put on a great performance for the fans… No matter who, I just want to do my job,” he added.

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Though he wants to work on his game, he refuses to fight anyone except Ngannou if he wins against Lewis. “No, I think it’s going to be Francis for sure. If tomorrow I win against Derrick and I have the (interim) belt, this is a ticket for be the (top) contender,” he further added.

Ciryl Gane knows a defeat is inevitable

‘Bon Gamin’ (9-0) is undefeated in his professional MMA career. He has also remained unscathed in his Muay Thai career with a 13-0 record. Despite these records, the Frenchman knows a defeat is around the corner for him. So, he is unperturbed by the thought of inevitability.

“Every time I go to the cage, every time I say, ‘Okay, I can win. But I can lose.’ Anything is possible,” he added. “I don’t know what’s going to happen. So yes, I’m ready to lose… Seriously, I’m already proud of myself if tomorrow I lose. I’ve never lost in my life in MMA or Muay Thai, but I’m not afraid of that. I’m really not afraid of that.”

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Just three years into his MMA career, ‘Bon Gamin‘ is fighting for the UFC title. He has made huge strides in a brief career and is looking good to achieve more in the coming years.

What did you make of Gane’s comments?