‘I don’t recognize myself’… Ciryl Gane reveals loss to Jon Jones has given him ‘the spirit of revenge’ ahead of UFC 310

After a year on the Parisian sidelines, French heavyweight Ciryl Gane will finally return to action next weekend when he takes on Russian powerhouse Alexander Volkov in UFC 310's featured bout.

'Bon Gamin' may have bounced back from his infamous first-round defeat to Jon Jones with a brutal TKO victory in his last fight, but make no mistake: that title fight with 'Bones' still haunts the popular French finisher.

Photo by Mike Roach/Zuffa LLC

Ciryl Gane reflects on his UFC heavyweight title loss to Jon Jones

UFC heavyweight Ciryl Gane has met everyone not named Jon Jones or Francis Ngannou, which is certainly nothing to be ashamed of, although the Frenchman has been remarkably honest about his lackluster performance against 'Bones'.

“Looking back on it, it was clear I wasn't there,” Gane said on the UFC 310 Countdown show, explaining how months of intense preparation just didn't work out under the bright lights of Las Vegas.

“It represented exactly how I felt on the day of the fight. It was a total misunderstanding of what happened… I don't recognize myself in that. It's something I've never done in my life.

“I've never fought like that before. My distance management, my movement, the alertness that I like to show – I didn't have any of that.”

While Gane views the title loss as a blemish on his otherwise incredible resume, 'Bon Gamin' uses that feeling of exposure as motivation for UFC 310.

“Looking back, I think this experience could have been useful. For me personally, it helped me focus on myself again. It gave me a spirit of revenge, a competitive spirit.”

Ciryl Gane previews his heavyweight rematch with Volkov at UFC 310

Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov fought back for the first time in 2021, with the Frenchman scoring a solid unanimous victory over the towering Russian.

With their rematch looming just as large on the horizon, Gane teased that “there are no surprises” when it comes to Volkov: “So I train with guys who are much bigger than me.”

To prepare for the 6-foot Russian, Gane honed his skills at the MMA Factory in Paris, working with 6-foot-2 kickboxer Paulin Begai and 6-foot-1 boxer Maxime Vaz – under the tutelage from head coach Fernand Lopez.

“Ultimately, our will is to end the fighting long before the war [final] timer,” coach Lopez teased, claiming that Gane has begun “perfecting” the arts of offensive boxing and wrestling.

“The way we work in boxing is we look for power, but with finishing moves. We are working on floor fighting with an offensive approach, not defensive – it is exciting for me to know that he has perfected all these capabilities.”

Although Volkov has shown impressive form of late, Gane believes he will simply be too slick for 'Drago' on December 7: “I'll show him movement, I'll show him technique, I'll give him more than he will give me.

“That's just the way it is, I hope we put on a show.”

UFC 310 airs live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, December 7.

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