Ciryl Gane shares how one boxing superstar jumpstarted his fighting career ahead of UFC 310 return

Former interim UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane wanted to look exactly like one of his boxing heroes when he started dipping his toes into Muay Thai.

Ciryl Gane has developed into one of the most unique athletes in mixed martial arts. His unorthodox striking base, combined with his hulking size, have caused him headaches as a UFC heavyweight throughout his career.

Gane is one of the faces of French MMA after the sport was previously banned in his home country. Despite MMA's complicated history in France, Gane was driven to pursue excellence in the cage by watching a heavyweight boxing superstar rise to the top of his sport.

As Gane developed his Muay Thai toolbox in preparation for a full-time transition to MMA, former heavyweight boxing champion Anthony Joshua was someone he wanted to emulate in the cage.

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Anthony Joshua inspired Ciryl Gane's early interest in fighting

In a recent vlog filmed by Red Corner MMA, Gane explained how he emulated Joshua on the road to his UFC success.

“When I started Muay Thai, I remember doing the exact same thing [as] Anthony Joshua,” Gane said. “Damn, this guy is so damn good! 'I want to be like him!'. I remember saying… 'Okay, let me do some push-ups like this! I want to be like him!'

“It was a motivation, and everyone needs that, to have a purpose.”

Although Joshua's best boxing fights are likely behind him, he remains one of the top names in the sport. He recently lost by knockout to Daniel Dubois and at the time of writing no date has been set for his return.

Gane and Joshua share some similarities in their careers. Both have lived up to the enormous hype from fans and pundits, and both physical specimens have an unorthodox fighting style.

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Ciryl Gane hopes to get a third shot at the UFC heavyweight title

Gane looks to earn another UFC heavyweight title against Alexander Volkov this Saturday at UFC 310. A possible clash with the winner of Jon Jones versus Tom Aspinall is on the table, especially if Gane puts in a breathtaking performance in the final. pay-per-view of the year.

Gane lost to Jones in a then-vacant UFC heavyweight title clash at UFC 285, moving him to 0-2 in straight-line UFC title fights. Before the UFC 285 loss to Jones, Gane lost to Francis Ngannou in their title unification bout at UFC 270.

Despite some setbacks in his title fight, Gane has scored victories over the heavyweight elite, including Tai Tuivasa and Serghei Spivac. He captured the interim UFC heavyweight title by finishing Derrick Lewis, the promotion's all-time knockout king, at UFC 265.

Gane hopes to earn Joshua's fame before he finally hangs up the gloves. Ahead of UFC 310, one of boxing's top phenoms inspired Gane's path to excellence.

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