On a Scale of 1 - 10 how much of Gane's UFC career was protected?

[dipstickjimmy]

He's the #2 ranked HW only behind the champion but has no wins over any of the top 5.

Derek Lewis wasn't ranked in the top 5?
When he fought Gane he was #4 in Sherdog's rankings. Take out Francis as champ & DC who is retired but still ranked #3 for some reason and that makes Lewis the #2 ranked contender.

Volkov was 7th on Sherdog's rankings going into the Gane fight. Take the champ out and DC who was retired but still ranked and he is the #5 Contender.

Rosenstruik was #5 on Sherdog's rankings and take out the champ Stipe and DC who was #2 but retired and he is the #3 ranked contender.

So that's the #2, 5 & 3 ranked contenders but he hasn't faced a top 5 guy? C'mon man! I know this is Sherdog but at least try when you want to post a hot take.

 

[kenetics]

He beat Rozenstruik, Volkov and Lewis in a row. That's a pretty strong strength of schedule to me in this modern day heavyweight division.

Tbh the only really competent grapplers in the top 10 are Stipe(Even then, he doesn't use it too much) and Blaydes, it's not Gane's fault that the this division is shallow and those two were unavailable to fight at that time.

All strikers..

 

[Question]

All strikers..

Read the second part bro.
Tell me what other grapplers were available at that period for Gane?

To add more context to Stipe and Blaydes availability, Stipe just KO'd by Francis and Blaydes just got KO'd by Lewis(Someone Gane dominated). In that period Gane was fighting Rozenstruik, Volkov and Lewis.

He'll fight grapplers in the future, but his rise to the top wasn't him being protected and he did deserve that title shot.
Saying Gane was protected is just a false narrative.

 

[kenetics]

Read the second part bro.
Tell me what other grapplers were available at that period for Gane?

To add more context to Stipe and Blaydes availability, Stipe just KO'd by Francis and Blaydes just got KO'd by Lewis(Someone Gane dominated). In that period Gane was fighting Rozenstruik, Volkov and Lewis.

He'll fight grapplers in the future, but his rise to the top wasn't him being protected and he did deserve that title shot.
Saying Gane was protected is just a false narrative.

Well his wrestling look like crap, so it is what it is.

 

[RockyLockridge]

1/10 definition of a fighter who'll fight anyone

JDS went through a murder's row to get his title shot. Gane's run to his title shot was kind of similar to Costa's.

I dont see it. Volkov, blaydes and lewis are all top 5 wins. That's a pretty nice streak sliding into a title fight

 

[Question]

Well his wrestling look like crap, so it is what it is.

He's still a young heavyweight and has plenty of time where he can improve.
The guy has been super active and fought anyone available to him.

He's just had his first ever defeat in his whole combat sports career and is obviously dedicated to his craft.
He'll come back stronger from this.

 

[kenetics]

He's still a young heavyweight and has plenty of time where he can improve.
The guy has been super active and fought anyone available to him.

He's just had his first ever defeat in his whole combat sports career and is obviously dedicated to his craft.
He'll come back stronger from this.

Let's hope so.

 

[NoSmilez]

He is not protected. In the UFC nobody is really protected. You do have weird unspoken agreements though. Russians often don't want to fight each other. Brazilians are sometimes the same way. You also have the African Alliance. You then have the Ali Cartel where he manages a ton of fighters. It gives them a lot of leverage and they don't fight each other unless no choice given.

 

[StonedLemur]

Yeah, exactly. And I like Gane, but JDS’s resume of Werdum, Struve, Cro Cop, Yvel, Gonzaga, Nelson, and Carwin, all basically in prime or close to it was bananas. Then he beat Cain for the belt and defended against Mir. Crazy, crazy run.

Its fucked how slept on JDS is tbh.
I have him high on the list of best HW in UFC history.

 

[spinup]

Gane faced JDS, Rozenstruik, Volkov and Lewis in 9 months.
There were no wrestlers available during his run to the TS. He was once matched with Shamil who pulled out.

Now, he will likely have to face Blaydes, Stipe or Aspinall.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

Not protected at all, what incentive do they have for protecting him? It's not like he's especially marketable.

 

[TeenageMutantLesnarTurtle]

Not protected at all. He had one of the fastest step ups in UFC HW history, maybe only behind Brock.

 

[spinup]

Not protected at all, what incentive do they have for protecting him? It's not like he's especially marketable.

He is much more willing to play ball with the UFC than Ngannou or Stipe, plus he is good to open the new french market, so they would have interest.

 

[Hellowhosthat]

He is much more willing to play ball with the UFC than Ngannou or Stipe, plus he is good to open the new french market, so they would have interest.

By the point they're looking at that situation he's already a contender though.

 

[ElCucuy2]

Lol if you think that Gane wouldnt walk through most of the wrestlers in this division. Only Blaydes would maybe give him trouble. I think you underestimate the power of Ngannou, he got those takedowns due to sheer power not tecnique, even Gane said that

 

[DaRivv20]

Gane went from being heralded as the new GOAT heavyweight who would bring back the glory days of talented athletic heavyweights, to having threads made about if he was protected by the UFC.


That loss to Francis really took the wind out of Gane’s sails.

 

[DestinedAussie]

Do you believe he went through a murderers row before getting the title shot or do you believe he was matched up favorably against slow but heavy handed strikers?

Did he fight the best grapplers in the division?

Jezzz man. His one of the hardest first 10 fights of an MMA career of all time, easily top 3. The idea he didn't earn it or was protected is just plain stupid.

 

[Fergelmince]

"Protected" is when you're gifted opponents like this for the belt

 

[spinup]

"Protected" is when you're gifted opponents like this for the belt

View attachment 910039

Vettori, Tavares, Brunson, (old) Silva, and Gastelum who was on a tear. And only because Whittaker got a last minute injury. That's not an easy path to a belt.

 

[BFoe]

Its fucked how slept on JDS is tbh.
I have him high on the list of best HW in UFC history.

I totally agree. I have him #5 all time personally (Fedor, Nog, Stipe, Werdum, JDS). He was a an absolute monster.