UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Spivac Preview
Ciryl Gane blasts Tai Tuivasa with a right hand. Credit: MMA Fighting.
The UFC makes its second trip to Paris this Saturday, with yet another card headlined by Heavyweight Ciryl Gane, this time taking on Serghei Spivac in an excellent matchup of contrasting styles. In the co-main event, former UFC Women’s Strawweight champion Rose Namajunas comes up to Flyweight for the first time to facing surging contender Manon Fiorot. To compliment these bouts is a bevy of debuting fighters and established scrappers, all vying to make a name for themselves on the biggest stage in MMA.
Morgan Charrière vs. Manolo Zecchini
Morgan Charrière lands a body kick on Perry Goodwin. Credit: La Sueur.
Featherweight Bout
Morgan Charrière: 18-9-1, 10 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.
Manolo Zecchini: 11-3-0, 9 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.
Charrière has won three of his last five bouts and making his UFC debut. A bit of an internet celebrity in France, he has accumulated a solid following and is a former Cage Warriors Featherweight champion. Training with Team Chapa Quente, he’s a technical striker with substantial power in his hands and brutal leg kicks. Charrière has excellent footwork and is very defensively sound, never taking much damage and always keeping his head off the centerline. He will remain calm and technical throughout and won’t get pulled into dogfights, typically forcing his opponents to the outside and picking them apart. On the ground, he has great top control and heavy ground and pound, particularly elbows. Charrière has gone five rounds multiple times in his career and has great cardio, often increasing his pace as the fight continues.
Manolo Zecchini lands a head kick on Sufiev Karomatullo. Credit: MMA UK.
Zecchini has found victory in four of his last five outings and is also making his UFC debut. An explosive striker, he’s constantly moving and pressing forward and is willing to eat a shot to land one. He’s always pursuing a finish, providing his opponent with a steady dose of looping shots and heavy leg kicks. Despite his aggression, Zecchini is elusive and has excellent distance management, but he can sometimes get pulled into brawls. Training at Jackson-Wink MMA, his kicks are his best weapons, often damaging his opponent from range before blitzing in to throw combinations. He won’t often initiate grappling exchanges but has shown great takedown defense and solid clinch control. Zecchini has nine first-round finishes and has only gone to two decisions, fighting with a true “kill or be killed” attitude.
William Gomis vs. Yanis Ghemmouri
William Gomis lands a kick on Jarno Errens. Credit: Flipboard.
Featherweight Bout
William Gomis: 12-2-0, 6 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.
Yanis Ghemmouri: 12-1-0, 3 KO/TKO, 4 Sub.
Gomis has won 11 straight bouts since 2016 and has UFC victories over Jarno Errens (13-5-1) and Francis Marshall (7-2-0). He’s a patient, technical striker with a diverse kicking game. He won’t overwhelm his opponent with movement or volume, instead using accuracy and power to land damage. Training at MMA Factory, he’ll often end combinations with kicks and does an excellent job of moving in and out of the pocket without eating shots. He’s a solid wrestler, has fantastic takedown timing, and is very strong in the clinch. When in top position, he’s patient and won’t put himself in dangerous spots, but he has good pressure and is hard to shake off. Gomis is defensively sound everywhere, having defended 81% of the strikes and 71% of the takedowns attempted on him.
Yanis Ghemmouri lands a head kick on Bair Shtepin. Credit: La Sueur.
Ghemmouri is on a nine-fight win streak dating back to 2016, with this being his UFC debut. A former champion kickboxer in France, he’s a powerful, technical striker who loves to counterstrike. Although he doesn’t move much laterally, he constantly switches stances and tends to lean back to avoid shots before returning with hooks. Ghemmouri favors power to volume, throwing lots of fast, looping shots and doing a lot of damage with his lead hand. Training with the Bulgarian Top Team, he has a solid takedown game but will panic wrestle when hurt, sometimes putting himself in bad spots. When on top, he has excellent pressure and lethal chokes, holding a standing guillotine win on his record. Ghemmouri’s pace will increase as the fight continues, constantly switching his stance and attacking from different angles.
#9 Volkan Oezdemir vs. Bogdan Guskov
Volkan Oezdemir drops Jimi Manuwa with a left hand. Credit: Bleacher Report.
Light Heavyweight Bout
Volkan Oezdemir: 18-7-0, 12 KO/TKO, 1 Sub.
Bogdan Guskov: 14-2-0, 12 KO/TKO, 2 Sub.
Oezdemir has won two of his last five fights and holds victories over #13 ranked Middleweight Paul Craig (17-6-1), #4 ranked Light Heavyweight Aleksander Rakic (14-3-0), and Ovince Saint Preux (26-17-0). He has a background in kickboxing and held a 5-0 record professionally before entering MMA, which shows in his style. While he primarily uses his hands and fights in the pocket, he has powerful kicks and particularly devastating leg kicks. Despite his phonebox-fighting style, Oezdemir stays relatively composed, usually returning to the center of the octagon and resetting after attacking. Training at Allstars Training Center, he has a solid chin and is willing to eat a shot to land one, but he also possesses good head movement. He occasionally initiates grappling exchanges, primarily preferring to remain on the feet, and has a takedown defense percentage of 86% in his UFC career. With 12 finishes in the first round, Oezdemir earned the nickname “No Time” and is at his most dangerous early on.
Bogdan Guskov lands a right hand on Alireza Vafaei. Credit: La Sueur.
Guskov has won four of his last five bouts and is making his UFC debut. He’s a heavy-handed striker who comes out guns blazing. He has heavy forward pressure and always looks for a knockout, throwing every shot with fight-ending intentions. Training at GOR MMA, Guskov will throw the occasional kick but does most of his damage in the pocket, fighting in a phonebooth. He has power in both hands but is seemingly always looking to set up his right, constantly unleashing devastating overhands. He has 11 finishes in the first round and has only gone to one decision, as well as only seeing the third round twice in his career. Guskov tends to headhunt and is willing to eat a shot to land one, but he has good head movement and darts in and out of the pocket very quickly.
Benoit Saint Denis vs. Thiago Moises
Benoit Saint Denis damages Ismael Bonfim from his back. Credit: MMA Mania.
Lightweight Bout
Benoit Saint Denis: 11-1-0, 2 KO/TKO, 9 Sub.
Thiago Moises: 17-6-0, 3 KO/TKO, 8 Sub.
Saint-Denis has won four of his last five outings, holding UFC wins over Ismael Bonfim (19-4-0), Niklas Stolze (12-6-0), and Gabriel Miranda (16-6-0). He’s constantly pressuring forward on the feet, unleashing heavy kicks and throwing bombs. He throws everything with fight-ending intentions, often using his striking to get inside and pursue takedowns. He is an excellent grappler, holding a black belt in Judo, a brown Belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, and a great variety of submissions on his record. Training at Woirin Team Elite, Saint-Denis typically secures takedowns quickly and has heavy top control, always choosing position over submission and rarely putting himself in risky spots. Whether on the feet or the mat, he’s always trying to end the fight and is always dangerous. A decorated veteran and former Special Forces paratrooper, he’s incredibly tough and has possibly the best chin in the lightweight division.
Thiago Moises cracks Bobby Green with a jab. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Moises has won three of his last five outings and holds UFC victories over Michael Johnson (22-19-0), Bobby Green (30-14-1), and Alex Hernandez (14-6-0). He’s a slick grappler with excellent wrestling and dangerous submissions. Training at American Top Team, he has solid power in his hands and kicks but won’t often waste much time before shooting for a takedown. Moises is very active on the ground, has excellent top pressure, and advances position very quickly. He’s intelligent with his ground and pound, only throwing when he’s postured up and never getting too wild. He does an excellent job of getting to his opponent’s back, where he’s most dangerous, and finds submissions, especially chokes, with lightning speed. Moises tends to absorb more damage than he dishes out, making it imperative for him to find early takedowns.
#3 (FYW) Manon Fiorot vs. #2 (STW) Rose Namajunas
Manon Fiorot lands a stiff right hand on Mayra Bueno Silva. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Women’s Flyweight Bout
Manon Fiorot: 10-1-0, 6 KO/TKO, 0 Sub.
Rose Namajunas: 12-5-0, 2 KO/TKO, 6 Sub.
Fiorot is on a 10-fight win streak, with her UFC victories coming over #3 ranked Bantamweight Mayra Bueno Silva (11-2-1), #5 ranked Flyweight Kaitlyn Chookagian (18-5-0), and #9 ranked Flyweight Jennifer Maia (21-9-1). She is an efficient, karate-style fighter with serious power and speed. She uses her lead leg excellently, constantly throwing side and head kicks with no tell. Fiorot is in perpetual motion and has solid output, but is very accurate and throws everything purposefully. Training with the Boxing Squad, she has excellent footwork and effortlessly moves in and out of the pocket. On average, she lands more than double the strikes she absorbs and has defended 71% of the strikes attempted on her in the UFC. Fiorot has landed at least one takedown in all of her UFC wins, has excellent wrestling, and will rain down devastating ground and pound when on top.
Rose Namajunas knocks out Weili Zhang with a head kick. Credit: ESPN.
Namajunas has won three of her last five outings and has wins over former UFC Strawweight champions Jessica Andrade (24-12-0), Joanna Jedrzejczyk (16-5-0), and Zhang Weili (24-3-0). She’s a well-rounded fighter with a solid kickboxing game and excellent Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu. Training at 303 Training Center, she has sneaky power, a sturdy chin, and has proven her ability to go five rounds without slowing. Holding black belts in both Taekwondo and Karate, Namajunas has very educated feet and crisp boxing. Averaging nearly two takedowns landed per 15 minutes, she is willing to engage in grappling exchanges and has great top control to complement her excellent submission game. Six of her last seven bouts have been for titles against some of the fiercest competition in the sport, making her prepared for nearly anything. This will be Namajunas’ first venture to Flyweight after spending her whole career at Strawweight.
#2 Ciryl Gane vs. #7 Serghei Spivac
Ciryl Gane lands a big right hand on Alexander Volkov. Credit: MMA Fighting.
Heavyweight Bout
Ciryl Gane: 11-2-0, 5 KO/TKO, 3 Sub.
Serghei Spivac: 16-3-0, 7 KO/TKO, 7 Sub.
Ciryl Gane has won three of his last five bouts, with wins over #8 ranked Alexander Volkov (36-10-0), #6 ranked Tai Tuivasa (15-5-0), and an interim Heavyweight title win over #10 ranked Derrick Lewis (27-11-0). He is one of the most technical strikers ever seen in the Heavyweight division, using efficient, brutal Muay Thai to damage his opponents. Training at MMA Factory, he has an excellent arsenal of attacks, all of which he can throw with power and do severe damage. While Gane has become known for his striking, he also has solid grappling, holding two submission wins in the UFC, including a heel hook. He’s a well-rounded grappler with solid takedowns and top control who can do significant damage with his ground and pound or turn to his submission game. He’s willing to exchange in the pocket but is also excellent at range, throwing plenty of high and low kicks and crisp combinations with his hands. The first significant French star to break through in the UFC, Gane will have the crowd behind him come Saturday.
Serghei Spivac applies a rear naked choke to Augusto Sakai. Credit: Action Network.
Spivac has won four of his last five fights and has UFC victories over #10 ranked Heavyweight Derrick Lewis (27-11-0), Aleksei Oleinik (60-17-1), and Carlos Felipe (12-2-0). He’s a powerful wrestler with brutal ground and pound and excellent top control. He’ll usually shoot in early, more often than not earning the takedown, having landed at least three takedowns in all his UFC wins but one. Spivac rarely leaves fights up to the judges, with ten first-round finishes in his career and seven of his ten bouts in the promotion not going the distance. Training with the Polar Bear Team, he has a diverse submission game but will look to land ground and pound before chasing a submission. He’s always looking to land damage on the ground but won’t force anything, being more than willing to hold half guard and work from there. While Spivac usually won’t spend much time on the feet, he has heavy hands and will throw right overhands until closing the distance and pursuing takedowns.
Best Bets
V. Oezdemir vs. B. Guskov to Not Go the Distance: Both men could benefit massively from a knockout here; Oezdemir needs a solid win to turn this recent skid around, and Guskov would firmly establish himself with a win over a veteran. Both have a plethora of first-round finishes, and I expect a high pace slugfest.
Benoit Saint Denis by Finish: Saint Denis is riding a huge wave of momentum following his massive upset victory over Ismael Bonfim. Combine that with a French crowd fully behind him and an opponent who tends to get overwhelmed on the feet, and I think it’s a perfect recipe for a finish victory.
Ciryl Gane by KO/TKO: While plenty of people hesitate to bet on Gane after Jon Jones destroyed him, they don’t need to be. While he doesn’t usually face grapplers, this is a big jump down from the guys he has faced lately. Not that Spivac isn’t a solid fighter, but he certainly isn’t Jon Jones or Francis Ngannou. I expect a big bounce-back victory here for Gane in front of his home crowd.
