Gane stops Spivak to retain top UFC contender status

MANILA, Philippines – It started with a knuckle to the eye that clearly bothered Sergey Spivak. With his eyesight impaired and Cyril Gane raining down strikes and punishing leg kicks to the body, it was a matter of time before the latter — the second-ranked UFC heavyweight fighter — put an end to the fight. 

It was the main event of UFC Fight Night last Sunday in Paris, France.

Early in the first round, Spivak attempted to bring the fight to the floor where he is more comfortable. In his lone takedown attempt, Gane reversed it and pounded on Spivak. He gave the Moldovan different looks and stances, each one with some powerful shots that hurt Spivak some more.

Hurt early on, Spivak could do little more than defend himself. And when you cannot go on the offense, you’re a sitting duck.

Gane, in front of his raucous Parisian home crowd at the Accor Arena, took a technical knockout win at the 3:44 mark of the second of five scheduled rounds.

Said a pleased Gane of his masterclass, “Gane said, "I’m really happy with that because that was my mission. My last fight was not my moment, so today’s mission was to prove that I’m still here. It was tough, the last one, but I was so glad to be back here in front of all of you. This is where I belong, in here, in the cage, and I’m really pleased."

In the co-main event of the evening, a women’s strawweight match between former champion Rose Namajunas and rising French star Manon Fiorot, the latter grabbed a well-deserved unanimous decision win.

It was a close and competitive women’s flyweight division and showcased how far Fiorot has come in just a short time. Across three rounds, Fiorot attacked and countered, weathering clashes with the known elite striking of Namajunas, and keeping it standing. 

After the scorecards were read in her favor, Fiorot said, "Thank you to the crowd, that was unbelievable. I have a lot of respect for Rose. Thank you for accepting the fight. That was a former champion. Now I want to play for the championship. Alexa, Valentina, I’m there. I’m the one who deserves the chance to be champion."

UFC Fight Night: Gane vs Spivak was shown live in the Philippines on the Premier Sports Channel on Sky and Cignal as well as on the TapGo TV and Blast TV streaming applications.