Photo credit to FightBook MMA
Gane vs Abdurakhimov targeted for September UFC
Perhaps third time’s the charm for booking Gane vs Abdurakhimov. Ciryl Gane and Shamil Abdurakhimov is in the planning stages for a September 19th heavyweight bout per MMA Junkie. The outlet communicated with an anonymous source close to the situation. The expectation was for Gane to fight Sergei Pavlovich at an August 8th UFC card. Then Pavlovich announced earlier in the week he was dropping out to undergo surgery to repair an old injury. This presented an opening for Shamil Abdurakhimov to step up for the Gane fight.
The Gane vs Abdurakhimov saga has been going on for a few months now. The two were first supposed to fight on April 18th but Gane collapsed his lung in training. The promotion looked to rebook the bout July 11th. Though reasons were undisclosed, Abdurakhimov pulled out of the summer slugfest. After the two failed booking attempts, the UFC matchmakers tried to pivot towards the aforementioned Gane vs Pavlovich matchup.
Gane vs Abdurakhimov
Gane and Abdurakhimov are positioned at number 15 and number 12 per the UFC’s official rankings. Ciryl Gane enters this fight with a spotless record in the Octagon. The former TKO heavyweight champion made a splash on the Canadian MMA circuit before making the move to the UFC stage. Since getting there, the French fighter has collected victories over Raphael Pessoa, Don’Tale Mayes, and Tanner Boser (who is readying for a Fight Island bout soon). In summation, Gane is 6-0 in his overall MMA career with an 83 percent finishing rate.
Abdurakhimov had a three-fight winning streak recently broken by Curtis Blaydes via second round, ground and pound stoppage at UFC 242. The aforementioned winning streak saw the Russian fighter pick up W’s over Chase Sherman, Andrei Arlovski, and Marcin Tybura. The former ADFC heavyweight Grand Prix champion looks to return to his winning ways this Fall. This prizefight represents the first 2020 Octagon appearance for both combatants.
