Undefeated and fast-rising heavyweight prospect Ciryl Gane will be competing against Shamil Abdurakhimov at UFC Fight Night 178.
Monday, the UFC announced a heavyweight fight that will see highly touted Ciryl Gane have an opportunity to potentially crack the top 10 of the heavyweight division if he can extend his undefeated record to 7-0 at the expense of #11 ranked Shamil Abdurakhimov. This will mark the first time both men will be competing in 2020.
Ciryl Gane has impressed in every one of his fights, fast-tracking him to a #14 ranking in the UFC heavyweight division after only six professional fights, three inside the Octagon. Five of Gane’s six victories have been finishes, with a balanced diet of submission and TKO/KO victories. In his most recent outing, Tanner Boser was able to withstand Gane’s offense but not enough to prevent Gane from earning a unanimous decision victory to move to 6-0. Shamil Abdurakhimov will be the toughest test to date for Gane, both in terms of experience and ranking.
Russia’s Shamil Abdurakhimov will enter this bout with a 20-5 MMA record, 5-3 in the UFC. Notable wins on his résumé include victories over former UFC heavyweight champion Andrei Arlovski, Walt Harris, and Marcin Tybura. In Abdurakhimov’s most recent outing, he fell to Curtis Blaydes via TKO.
With the addition of this heavyweight clash, the updated UFC Fight Night 178 card is as follows:
Main Event: Colby Covington vs. Tyron Woodley
Johnny Walker vs. Ryan Spann
Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Ciryl Gane
Donald “Cowboy” Cerrone vs. Niko Price
Mackenzie Dern vs. Randa Markos
Mayra Bueno Silva vs. Mara Romero Borella
Randy Costa vs. Journey Newson
David Dvorak vs. Jordan Espinosa
Heili Alateng vs. Casey Kenny
What is your prediction for this heavyweight clash between Ciryl Gane and Shamil Abdurakhimov?
