Jailton Almeida: Ciryl Gane has other life priorities, loses to Tom Aspinall at UFC 321
Gane (13-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) challenges heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) in the UFC 321 headliner on Oct. 25 from Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. "Bon Gamin" is a former interim champion, but fell short twice in his pursuit of the heavyweight title against Francis Ngannou and Jon Jones.
Almeida (13-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC), who was heavily campaigning for a title shot, confidently predicts an Aspinall win.
"I'm pretty sure that Aspinall beats Gane," Almeida said on "The Ariel Helwani Show" through an interpreter. "It seems like Gane has other priorities in his life right now, and once you're fighting at this level there can't be no other priority.
"If you're fighting at this level, if you're fighting for the heavyweight crown of the UFC, you have to be all in, and it doesn't seem like that's the case for Gane right now. I get it that he's taking it because who's not going to take another title fight for the heavyweight belt? But I think his priorities are in a different place now."
Almeida is hoping to secure the No. 1 contender spot when he takes on Alexander Volkov (38-11 MMA, 12-5 UFC) on the same card as Aspinall vs. Gane. He explains why he's the one who can give Aspinall his toughest test.
"I'm very strategic, I'm probably more explosive than anybody that he's faced, especially on the grappling side of things," Almeida said. "I think it would probably develop as a grappling fight. He is a BJJ black belt, but there's levels to being a black belt. I think that I'll be able to take him into deep waters once we get to the grappling side of things."
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