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Ciryl Gane and Francis Ngannou had quite a funny encounter backstage at UFC 268. The pair were both at the event when they ran into each other.
Francis Nagnnou walked right past Ciryl Gane and his team while the interim UFC champion was in complete disbelief. You can watch the run in here.
Ciryl Gane spoke to MMAJunkie about the situation. He wasn't sure what exactly happened there.
“Why? Just why? It was not necessary,” UFC interim champion Gane said. “But it’s like that. Some people think differently than me. Some people are different. So for me, it was not necessary. But he did it. This is his story, so that’s it. …
“I’m surprised because maybe he has something against me, maybe he has something against his former coach, Fernand Lopez, but Nassourdine Imavov? Nassourdine Imavov just finished his fight, and he won, and in MMA Factory, maybe Nassourdine Imavov was Francis’ biggest sparring partner. So Fernand, OK. Me, I’m the future opponent, OK. But Nassourdine Imavov, it’s a little bit of a shame.”
There are a lot of storylines for the fight. Many see it as training partners becoming rivals while others think Francis Ngannou wants his revenge for the UFC interim title fight being booked less than a year after becoming champion.
Cyril Gane isn't sure what the storyline is but he does know which one it's not.
“At first, I was a little bit uncomfortable with that because too many people try to put me in the headlines like, ‘The guy with the revenge,’ but this is not my story,” Gane said. “Let me do my thing, and now I’m comfortable with that. When I started my career in the UFC, maybe my first three fights after every fight, the journalists talk about that: ‘And Francis and Francis.’ Yo, stay focused on me please. I just arrived; I’m gonna do my thing. Francis was already in the top five, so this is the feeling.”
Cyril Gane will be looking to become the next UFC heavyweight champion when he takes on Francis Ngannou on January 22.
