Ciryl Gane admits to making "selfish choices" ahead of Tom Aspinall title fight at UFC 321

Ciryl Gane is betting on preparation over comfort as he heads into UFC 321. The French heavyweight is laser-focused on Tom Aspinall by putting his personal life on hold to sharpen every aspect of his game.

Gane has not seen his wife and two daughters for nearly three months. He believes that it's a deliberate choice he describes as selfish but necessary to chase the undisputed heavyweight title. Gane has already faced two previous setbacks in championship bouts, first against Francis Ngannou and then Jon Jones.

Saturday’s fight marks his third shot at claiming the UFC heavyweight crown, and he is determined to leave nothing to chance. Speaking in an interview with TNT Sports, he said:

“I’ve made some selfish choices for this camp. I’ve not seen my family for almost three months. Sometimes, you have to make these choices for your life... But I know that if I go home with the belt, I’m going to be a happy father. Everyone in my family knows this, so they are OK with that."

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Check out Ciryl Gane's comments below (9:00):

Gane enters as an underdog, partly due to lingering questions from his controversial win over Alexander Volkov last year. He's a former interim champion and holds a 13-2 record overall and 10-2 mark inside the UFC.

Tom Aspinall refuses to underestimate Ciryl Gane at UFC 321

Tom Aspinall enters UFC 321 fully aware of the challenge Ciryl Gane presents. The British heavyweight defends his title against Gane in Abu Dhabi while ignoring his big favorite status.

Oddsmakers favor Aspinall heavily, but he believes many are undervaluing the French striker. Gane has a history of success at the top of the division, including an interim championship and two previous title shots.

Speaking at the UFC 321 media scrum, Aspinall said:

"I think there's this notion with the media and maybe the fans that Ciryl is not very good, which is just complete bullsh*t. I think that he's really, really good. He's super talented, he's been at the top of the division for a number of years, which is not easy to do."

He added:

"He's been an interim champion himself. He's obviously had two title shots for the undisputed title, as well, so I think the guy is really good. I've took him extremely, extremely seriously. The fact that people expect it to be an easy fight, I don't read into that at all. I'm prepared for a really hard fight."

About the author

Abhishek Ramadasan Nambiar is a journalist who covers MMA at Sportskeeda. As a long-time practitioner of various martial arts, seeing the fusion of different forms into a quest for the ultimate fighter felt both primal and profoundly technical. At Sportskeeda, Abhishek's primary goal is to offer a fresh and distinctive angle through his writing, aiming to provide readers with more than just the basics of MMA. Along with keeping them informed about the latest developments in the sport, he strives to offer valuable insights that enhance their understanding of MMA.

When not writing about MMA, Abhishek often spends time reviewing music or devouring Brian Evanson's and Blake Crouch's work. Sign up to receive news, regular updates, and exclusive coverage.

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