Ciryl Gane Bio
Ciryl Romain Jacky Gane (born April 12, 1990) is a French professional mixed martial artist and former Muay Thai fighter who currently competes in the Heavyweight division of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). A professional combat sports athlete since 2014, Gane previously held the Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship and was the heavyweight champion in TKO Major League MMA. Nicknamed “Bon Gamin” (Good Kid), he is widely regarded as one of the most technically polished heavyweight competitors of his era, training out of MMA Factory in Paris under head coach Fernand Lopez.
Standing 6 feet 4 inches tall with a reach of 81 inches, Gane combines the striking base he developed through years of elite Muay Thai with a rapidly evolving mixed martial arts skill set. As of late June 2025, he was ranked #1 in the official UFC heavyweight rankings, a position reflecting his consistent run of high-level performances inside the Octagon.
Early Life and Background
Ciryl Romain Jacky Gane was born on April 12, 1990, in La Roche-sur-Yon, a city in the Vendée department of western France. His paternal family has roots in Guadeloupe, a French overseas department in the Caribbean, which has shaped his Franco-Caribbean heritage. His father, Romain Gane, worked as a bus driver and was also a footballer who played at the Division d’Honneur level in France.
As a youth, Gane was a talented multi-sport athlete, playing both football and basketball during his formative years. Despite that sporting promise, he initially chose a more conventional career path, taking a job in sales at a furniture store and enrolling in a work-study program based in Paris. It was during this period that a former classmate introduced him to Muay Thai, the martial art that would ultimately redirect the course of his life and launch him toward professional combat sports.
Path to MMA
Gane’s introduction to Muay Thai quickly became a passion, and he committed himself to serious training under coach Fernand Lopez at MMA Factory in Paris. He made his professional Muay Thai debut on June 4, 2016, capturing the AFMT Muay Thai heavyweight title with a second-round knockout of Jérémy Jeanne. Over the next two years, he built a strong striking résumé, defeating notable opponents including Brice Guidon, Jonathan Gengoul, Bangaly Keita, and the multiple-time WBC Muaythai champion Yassine Boughanem, finishing his Muay Thai career with a perfect 14-0 record, 9 of those wins coming by knockout.
In 2018, Gane transitioned to mixed martial arts, coached by Fernand Lopez. He signed with the Canadian promotion TKO Major League MMA and made his professional MMA debut that same year, capturing the vacant TKO heavyweight championship in the first round via a front choke against Bobby Sullivan. He successfully defended the title twice, beating Adam Dyczka and Roggers Souza, which quickly established him as a heavyweight prospect ready for the biggest stage in the sport.
Ciryl Gane Career
Early Career (2018–2019)
After going 3-0 in TKO and winning the promotion’s heavyweight title, Gane signed with the UFC, the world’s leading MMA organization. He made his highly anticipated promotional debut on August 10, 2019, at UFC Fight Night: Shevchenko vs. Carmouche 2, where he submitted Raphael Pessoa with an arm-triangle choke at the end of the first round. The performance offered an early glimpse of his well-rounded game.
He followed that debut with two more UFC victories later in 2019, submitting Don’tale Mayes via a third-round heel hook at UFC Fight Night: Maia vs. Askren and earning his first Performance of the Night bonus, then outpointing Tanner Boser via unanimous decision at UFC Fight Night: Edgar vs. The Korean Zombie. Those three consecutive finishes and decisions within his first year in the promotion established Gane as a fast-rising heavyweight contender.
UFC Breakthrough (2020–2021)
Gane’s rise continued in 2020, though a bout against Shamil Abdurakhimov was repeatedly delayed and eventually cancelled. He returned to the cage on December 12, 2020, at UFC 256, where he scored a second-round technical knockout over former champion Junior dos Santos, a result that confirmed his status as a serious title threat.
He opened 2021 with a unanimous decision win over Jairzinho Rozenstruik at UFC Fight Night 186, followed by another unanimous decision victory over Alexander Volkov at UFC Fight Night 190. On August 7, 2021, at UFC 265, Gane faced Derrick Lewis for the Interim UFC Heavyweight Championship and delivered a one-sided performance, winning via third-round technical knockout to claim the interim title and earning another Performance of the Night award. The win elevated him to the top of the heavyweight division.
Title Challenges and Current Form (2022–Present)
On January 22, 2022, Gane challenged Francis Ngannou for the undisputed UFC Heavyweight Championship at UFC 270. After a strong start that saw him ahead on the scorecards through two rounds, Ngannou shifted to a wrestling-based approach and controlled the championship rounds, handing Gane his first-ever defeat in any combat sport via unanimous decision.
Gane rebounded with a third-round knockout of Tai Tuivasa at UFC Fight Night 209 on September 3, 2022, a Fight of the Night performance that reminded the division of his finishing ability. On March 4, 2023, at UFC 285, he challenged Jon Jones for the vacant heavyweight title but was caught in a first-round guillotine choke submission. He then stopped Serghei Spivac via second-round TKO at UFC Fight Night 226 on September 2, 2023, earning a third Performance of the Night bonus. After a 2024 rematch win over Alexander Volkov by split decision at UFC 310, Gane faced Tom Aspinall for the heavyweight title at UFC 321 on October 25, 2025, with the bout ruled a no contest after an accidental eye poke left Aspinall unable to continue.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among the signature moments of Gane’s career are his first-round TKO of former champion Junior dos Santos at UFC 256, his interim title-winning performance against Derrick Lewis at UFC 265, and his perfect 14-0 Muay Thai career that included nine knockouts. His trilogy of high-stakes UFC title fights, against Francis Ngannou, Jon Jones, and Tom Aspinall, marks him as one of the few heavyweights of his generation to compete for UFC gold on multiple occasions.
Ciryl Gane Career Wins
Ciryl Gane’s overall combat sports résumé includes a perfect 14-0 professional Muay Thai record with 9 knockouts, a 3-0 run as TKO Major League MMA heavyweight champion, and a UFC record built on a foundation of well-rounded performances that have produced multiple post-fight bonuses. Across his mixed martial arts career, he has compiled 13 wins, 6 by knockout, 1 by submission, and 1 by decision, with 2 losses and 1 no contest.
UFC Highlights
Within the UFC, Gane’s most significant victories include his technical knockout of Junior dos Santos at UFC 256, his interim heavyweight title-winning TKO of Derrick Lewis at UFC 265, his third-round knockout of Tai Tuivasa at UFC Fight Night 209, his second-round TKO of Serghei Spivac at UFC Fight Night 226, and his split decision win over Alexander Volkov at UFC 310. He has also earned four UFC post-fight bonuses, three Performance of the Night awards and one Fight of the Night award, recognizing his consistent finishing ability and entertainment value.
Other Wins & Performances
Outside the UFC, Gane captured the TKO Major League MMA heavyweight title in his professional debut and defended it twice in 2018. He also compiled a flawless professional Muay Thai career between 2016 and 2018, including a victory over the highly respected WBC Muaythai champion Yassine Boughanem, accomplishments that established his striking credentials before his full transition to mixed martial arts.
Ciryl Gane Family
Family Background and Lineage
Ciryl Gane’s father, Romain Gane, worked as a bus driver in France and was also a competitive footballer who played in the Division d’Honneur. The family has Guadeloupean roots on the paternal side, giving Ciryl a French-Caribbean heritage that has been a noted part of his personal identity.
Personal Life
Gane is married, and he and his wife have two daughters. The family resides in Nogent-sur-Marne, a suburb in the eastern outskirts of Paris, where Gane continues to train out of MMA Factory alongside coach Fernand Lopez. Outside of fighting, Gane has ventured into acting, starring as Bastien in the film KO and appearing in the 2025 film Den of Thieves 2. In 2025, he also served as an MMA judge on the French Netflix reality series l’Arène.
2025 Season Performance
Ciryl Gane’s 2025 campaign centered on his pursuit of undisputed UFC heavyweight gold, a goal that had eluded him in his two prior title bouts. After a controversial split decision win over Alexander Volkov in late 2024 set the stage for another championship opportunity, Gane entered the year as the #1-ranked heavyweight in the official UFC rankings. His training camp under Fernand Lopez at MMA Factory continued to emphasize his evolving wrestling and grappling defense, areas of his game that had been tested in earlier championship losses.
That title shot came on October 25, 2025, at UFC 321, where Gane faced reigning champion Tom Aspinall for the heavyweight crown. The bout was competitive through the early exchanges, with both men trading strikes, before an accidental eye poke from Gane rendered Aspinall unable to continue, resulting in the fight being ruled a no contest. The outcome preserved the unresolved nature of the championship picture and left both heavyweights in a holding pattern heading into 2026.
Looking ahead from that result, Gane’s stock remains among the very highest in the division, and he continues to be paired with the top of the UFC heavyweight ladder. With his combination of elite striking, improving grappling, and championship-level experience, the Bon Gamin remains firmly in the title conversation as the promotion looks to clarify its heavyweight future.