Former UFC interim heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane likes what he sees from Tai Tuivasa following his win over Derrick Lewis at UFC 271.
Gane and Tuivasa could be on a collision course sooner rather than later in the UFC heavyweight division. Tuivasa moved up to No. 3 in the latest UFC rankings while Gane remains at No. 1 despite his UFC 270 loss to Francis Ngannou.
Tuivasa is arguably the hottest heavyweight contender in the division at the moment, having won five straight via knockout. He has also become a UFC fan favorite with his post-fight ‘shoey’ celebrations.
During an interview with Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, Gane tabbed Tuivasa as a legitimate factor in the heavyweight division.
“Congratulations to this guy,” Gane said of Tuivasa. “It was a really interesting fight. Unfortunately, I was sleeping at this moment, like every time. But I saw the fight after and it was a really tough fight. So congratulations to Derrick Lewis also, it was a beautiful fight. And Tuivasa is an amazing fighter. He can do something big in this division. He has something.”
Gane is hopeful for an eventual rematch with Ngannou in the UFC. A win over a top contender such as Tuivasa could put him on the fast track to another title shot.
Tuivasa is now a Top-3 UFC heavyweight and will surely get a big name for his next octagon appearance. His win over Lewis put him on the map and demonstrated that he can compete with the best heavyweights in MMA.
How far do you think Tai Tuivasa can go in the UFC’s heavyweight division?
