Like many expected, Ciryl Gane’s highly anticipated UFC debut Saturday night ended in a finish. However, the method was a surprise to many.
Gane (4-0 MMA, 1-0 UFC) submitted opponent Raphael Pessoa (9-1 MMA, 0-1 UFC) via first-round arm-triangle at UFC on ESPN+ 14 in Montevideo, Uruguay. The submission came off of a reversal by Gane, who maneuvered through a Pessoa trip to gain side control. Once in the dominant position, Gane locked in a deep, fight-ending arm triangle.
According to BestFightOdds.com, the average betting line for “Gane by submission” across major books cashed at a staggering +1930.
According to ESPN, Gane joined Randy Couture, Brock Lesnar, Stefan Struve, Kimo Leopoldo, and Travis Browne as one of only six UFC heavyweights to win via arm-triangle choke in the division’s history.
A training partner of Francis Ngannou at the MMA Factory under coach Fernand Lopez, Gane proved he is more than just a striker. The former pro muay Thai practitioner and kickboxer now holds three finishes via strikes and one by submission.
Before he signed his UFC contract, Gane had agreed to a multi-fight deal with GLORY Kickboxing, the heavyweight told MMA Junkie last week. According to Gane, a title shot at champ Rico Verhoeven was included in the deal, though he’ll instead focus on MMA for the time being.
Check out Gane’s submission below:
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