Francis Ngannou believes Alex Pereira faces one of the toughest stylistic challenges of his career against Cyril Gane in June.
Speaking with TMZ, Ngannou offered his opinion on the upcoming interim UFC heavyweight title fight between Pereira and Gane at UFC Freedom 250 on June 14 in Washington, DC, and based on his firsthand experience facing the Frenchman, explained why he sees the matchup favoring Gane.
Pereira is attempting to become the first three-division UFC champion, having previously held titles at light heavyweight and middleweight. Before setting his sights on heavyweight gold, he defeated Magomed Ankalev in his most recent fight to capture second place at 205 pounds. A victory over Gane would cement his place as one of the most accomplished fighters in UFC history.
However, Ngannou thinks the road to reach that milestone won't be very easy. In his last UFC appearance four years ago, Ngannou defeated Gane via unanimous decision to retain the heavyweight title, but he had to rely heavily on his wrestling after struggling to solve Gane's footwork and technical striking in the early rounds. He expects Perera to face the same problems.
Could Cyril Gane's distance game become a problem for Alex Pereira?
"It's going to be an interesting fight. Alex Pereira is big; he's a heavyweight," Ngannou said. "Gane moves a lot; he's faster. Pereira will be more hard-nosed, steady and strong, solid. Cyril will be faster, moving around. He's good at that. It will be very difficult for Alex Pereira to figure out what he can do, just get to distance, which Cyril will manage very well. Gane will frustrate him. I think it's a very good matchup for Cyril Gane."
The main difference between Ngannou's position and Pereira's position is that Ngannou struggled when his striking failed to close the distance against the gain. Pereira, a former kickboxing world champion whose game is built almost entirely around his striking, doesn't have the same option. If he cannot find a way to get within the limit, the path to the end becomes more difficult.
Gain's durability has made that task more difficult. The French former interim heavyweight champion has only finished inside the distance once in his career, when Jon Jones submitted him at UFC 285 three years ago. Neither fighter ever stopped Gane with a strike. If Pereira is to make history on the White House lawn, he will have to accomplish something that no one in MMA has yet accomplished against one of the division's most technically sophisticated competitors.
