Dana White was not impressed with what he saw from Ciryl Gane in his victory over Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC Vegas 20.
Cyril Gane can fully expect to enter the top 5 of the UFC rankings after his victory over Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC Vegas 20, but he is hardly likely to climb the popularity list with the slow-paced methods he used to get the win. UFC President Dana White reached out to Yahoo’s Kevin Iole with his thoughts on Gane’s performance, and it’s safe to say that he doesn’t think a new star was born in the main event.
“Everybody’s talking about Ciryl being this big contender, but look at what Francis Ngannou did to Jairzinho,” White wrote to Iole. “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.”
While it’s certainly tough for anyone to be compared to Francis Ngannou or held to that standard of highlight material, it is true that Ciryl Gane’s victory was certainly not fan-friendly. Gane himself even acknowledges as much and understands where Dana White is coming from as a promoter.
“I can understand that,” Gane said at the UFC Vegas 20 post-fight press conference. “He 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 Assesses His Own Performance At UFC Vegas 20
When asked for his own appraisal of his performance, the undefeated Gane believes he performed well. He also believes it was most prudent for him to take the cautious approach against the dangerous Rozenstruik, who was seemingly lying in wait for an opening.
“I think I did it well,” Gane said. “I managed the fight on the feet. I tried to go down. I did the takedown. I think I managed well the fight on the feet…
“That’s really correct (that I had to be patient). I tried to make the pressure. I was looking for some way to finish the fight. … I had to be careful.”
What did you think of Ciryl Gane’s victory over Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC Vegas 20?
