Ahead of UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Tuivasa, we take a look at the odds and predictions for the main card
The UFC heavyweight division is witnessing a revolution with a talent-stacked roaster. From experienced veterans, to upcoming heavy hitters, to elite competitors, the division has it all. Once lacking the excitement that it currently does, the division is slowly turning into a battleground with new challengers emerging constantly. Francis Ngannou sits on top as the heavyweight champion, however he has been sidelined with injury. Jon Jones is expected to make his much-awaited heavyweight debut. With all these exciting developments in the shelf, the division will witness some great fights in the coming times. Two of the best in the division, Ciryl Gane and Tai Tuivasa will throw down at UFC Paris scheduled for this weekend.
Ciryl Gane vs Tai Tuivasa
A Muay Thai fighter, 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.
At Warriors Night, Gane beat Bangaly Keita by a third-round knockout. The Frenchman was then scheduled to fight the multiple-time WBC Muay Thai champion, the feared Yassine Boughanem at Duel 2. Gane won the fight by decision as he systematically broke down his opponent.
Gane made his UFC 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. He faced Derrick Lewis on August 7, 2021 at UFC 265 for the Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship. He won the lopsided contest via technical knockout in round three. This fight earned him the Performance of the Night award.
His opponent Tai Tuivasa is a force to be reckoned with. Once overlooked by matchmakers for his three losses, which came after a blitzing 9-0 run in MMA, Tuivasa has had a turbulent ride so far. Against Derrick Lewis at UFC 271, he showed beyond doubt that he is in this for the long haul after knocking out the division’s knockout king. His 5 knockout wins in a row have substantiated his position amongst the elite in the division, which the organization acknowledged by updating his ranking.
Tai Tuivasa made his UFC debut on 19th November 2017 and immediately grabbed everyone’s attention thanks to a flying knee KO that earned him a performance of the night bonus. He went on to lose three fights and had his back against the wall. He realized a change had to be made, and he did. Tuivasa has been on a four-fight win streak since then and his popularity is on an all-time high.
Tuivasa faces his biggest challenge so far when he meets Ciryl Gane at UFC Paris to determine their stake in the heavyweight ladder.
Odds- Gane perched as a massive -600 favorite on the UFC Paris odds, while Tuivasa lags as a +400 underdog.
Our Prediction- Ciryl Gane is one of the best strikers in the game today. His control of distance, the wide range of his attacks, and mastery over striking is second to none. The most feared puncher in combat sports today, Francis Ngannou had trouble fighting him on the feet. He resorted to his wrestling to win the fight. Tuivasa likes to keep the fight in boxing range and engage in a brawl with his opponents. This would not be easy to perform with Gane, who is the master at keeping fights in his desired range. The only path to victory for Tuivasa would be to flurry occasionally and take one to land two. Having said that, Gane looks like the comfortable pick to win this fight.
Robert Whittaker vs Marvin Vettori
Robert Whittaker is coming off a loss to middleweight champion Israel Adesanya for the second time. He was on a three fight win streak that got derailed by the champion. He finds himself in a tough spot being the guardian of the division who has been eliminating all challenges in front of him.
His opponent Marvin Vettori has also fought Israel Adesanya twice and came short twice. Fans are still unsure about what a victory for either guy does for the division.
Odds- Robert Whittaker (-235) aims to cement his position as the top contender in the 185-pound division as he takes Marvin Vettori (+185) in the co-main event of the evening.
Our Prediction- Robert Whittaker is a more dynamic striker, has better takedown defense, and much more complete than Vettori. Vettori does not have the knockout power to stop Whittaker, and it looks like Whittaker will emerge victorious.
Other fight odds
Middleweight — Alessio Di Chirico (-120) vs Roman Kopylov (-110)
Lightweight — John Makdessi (+175) vs Nasrat Haqparast (-220)
Bantamweight — Taylor Lapilus (N/A) vs Khalid Taha (N/A)
Women’s Featherweight — Stephanie Egger (-350) vs Ailin Perez (+250)
Lightweight — Beniot Saint-Denis (-260) vs Gabriel Miranda (+200)
Middleweight — Nassourdine Imavov (-265) vs Joaquin Buckley (+205)
Featherweight — Ricardo Ramos (N/A) vs Danny Henry (N/A)
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