After going through double eye surgery, Tom Aspinall is expected to be sidelined for an uncertain period. Meanwhile, fans also contemplated Alex Pereira vs. Ciryl Gane fighting for a heavyweight interim belt. But even though fans were stoked to see the clash, the showdown largely remained a rumor. However, the Frenchman’s training video of taking down his teammate stirred the pot once again, as fans are now buzzing, sensing the matchup might actually be on.
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“Ciryl Gane takes down his sparring partner 🔥” Popular social media MMA page ‘Red Corner MMA’ posted on X.
In the clip, ‘Bon Gamin’s teammate was seen throwing leg kicks as Gane charged forward. As the 265 lbs contender slipped a right hand, he swiftly grabbed a single leg and transitioned into a takedown. Completing the drill, the French heavyweight ended up pinning his teammate against the cage and landing ground shots.
For the unfamiliar, that training might seem like a routine drill. But catching a single leg and then proceeding to a takedown definitely makes it look like Ciryl Gane is preparing for Alex Pereira, who is known for devastating leg kicks. Interestingly, ‘Poatan’ posted “1 2 3 go” on his social media, which had fans buzzing about his heavyweight move. And now, it seems more real than ever. However, it’s not only the fans who are hyped for the matchup.
Even former middleweight champion Michael Bisping firmly believes that Pereira vs. Gane is the rightful fight for the 265 lbs division right now. Why? As per ‘The Count,’ the weight class cannot remain stagnant while the champ, Tom Aspinall, is away recovering from his recent medical procedure. So, he thinks the winner of the superfight can welcome the Manchester native back.
Ciryl Gane takes down his sparring partner 🔥 pic.twitter.com/RSzaTVtvcC
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) February 15, 2026
Now, after Ciryl Gane’s training video made the rounds, it definitely caught the attention of fans. Looking at the footage, they might have also picked up the hint that a potential matchup with the two-time 205 lbs champion could be on the way. So, suspecting the fight, netizens reacted to the Frenchman’s drill, pulling no punches with their reaction.
Fans react as Ciryl Gane sparks Alex Pereira buzz with new training footage
A fan quickly chimed in and wrote, “We want this fight, bro.” Then, another user followed up by writing, “Gane demonstrates great skill,” looking at Ciryl Gane’s training. Well, as the fans were definitely impressed with the display, another fan just shot a prediction.
“Sounds crazy but he subs Pereira.” The Frenchman is actually not known for having out-of-the-world grappling, as he mostly snipes opponents from a distance. But he definitely has three submission victories, which shows that Gane has the capability to submit.
However, Alex Pereira also showed amazing takedown defense at UFC 313, fending away Magomed Ankalaev’s takedown attempts. So, he’s definitely going to be very tough to get on the ground.
With that factor in mind, a fan wrote, “Move like that against Kick Boxer Poatan? He eats a left and knee.” Which can definitely happen, as ‘Poatan’ started his UFC career with a big knee knockout against Andreas Michailidis at UFC 268, which came during his opponent’s takedown attempts.
Although fans remained very pleased by ‘Bon Gamin’s takedown capability, some users, however, completely grilled him. Trolling Gane’s attempt, a fan wrote, “That s—t was so sloppy lol”. Next, another fan took a dig at Gane by writing, “he just can’t eye poke him,” pointing out that the French powerhouse resorted to takedowns as he wouldn’t dare to eye poke the Brazilian legend, as he did at UFC 321 against Tom Aspinall.
That said, as Ciryl Gane’s training video subtly hints at a clash against Alex Pereira, do you think the UFC would actually allow ‘Poatan’ to move up another weight class? Let us know in the comments section below.