It’s a chance for Gane to recapture the interim crown he held back in 2021 when he defeated Derrick Lewis at UFC 265. And, after a series of results that have given him the highest highs and some crashing lows, Gane is ready to claim the biggest win of his UFC career.
Gane’s globetrotting UFC run started in Montevideo, Uruguay, back in 2019 when he submitted Raphael Pessoa in the first round via arm-triangle choke. He followed up with a heel-hook finish of Don’Tale Mayes in Singapore, then a unanimous decision victory over Canada’s Tanner Boser in Busan, South Korea, before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
AMERICAN STORIES: Sean O’Malley | Steve Garcia | Michael Chandler | Kyle Daukaus | Justin Gaethje | Derrick Lewis | Josh Hokit
A difficult year in 2020 saw Gane fight just once after a quartet of matchups fell by the wayside. That fight, in December at UFC 256, saw Gane make major progress as he knocked out former undisputed champion Junior dos Santos to elevate his stock and push him closer to matchups with the division’s elite. Decision wins over Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Alexander Volkov followed, with the latter earning Gane a fight against Derrick Lewis for the vacant interim heavyweight title at UFC 265. Gane rose to the occasion and, in a mature, composed performance, did well to avoid Lewis’ knockout power before finishing him with ground and pound in the third round.