Rising heavyweight contender Ciryl Gane is expected to face his biggest challenge to date in the UFC. La Sueur reports that Gane is in talks to fight Jairzinho Rozenstruik at a UFC Fight Night event on March 13th. MMA Junkie’s Farah Hannoun has confirmed La Sueur reports with “Two people with knowledge of the matchup.”
Gane has moved quickly up the heavyweight rankings. He defeated former UFC heavyweight champion Junior Dos Santos by TKO at UFC 256 on December 12, 2020, at the UFC Apex facility in Las Vegas, Nevada. The win placed Gane seventh in the heavyweight division. A win over Rozenstruik can put Gane in the conversation as a heavyweight championship contender.
Rozenstruik is looking to continue his momentum in the UFC. He also has a win over Dos Santos by TKO at UFC 252 on August 15, 2020, at the UFC Apex facility. His only loss in the UFC was against Francis Ngannou by knockout at UFC 249 on May 9, 2020, at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida. Rozenstruik is ranked third in the division and is in consideration for a number one contender fight. A win over Gane reaffirm his place at the top of the division.