Fernand Lopez desires to make clear some accusations of Ciryl Gane allegedly ducking fights.
Gane (12-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) has been topic of criticism for not combating, and Lopez thinks that notion is unfair. Lopez is each Gane’s supervisor and head coach.
Gane hasn’t competed since ending Serghei Spivac final September in Paris. Interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall (14-3 MMA, 7-1 UFC) revealed that earlier than drawing Curtis Blaydes (18-4 MMA, 13-4 UFC) in Saturday’s UFC 304 headliner, the UFC tried to e-book him towards Gane, however Gane declined.
Lopez says Gane did certainly flip down the struggle supply for UFC 304, however solely as a result of he had already dedicated to filming a film with Netflix – and the UFC was properly conscious of that. Lopez additionally denied Blaydes’ declare that Gane was supplied a struggle towards him.
“The primary and the one time that the UFC ever supplied Tom Aspinall was for July (27),” Lopez informed MMA Junkie. “Earlier than that, individuals are messing up the whole lot. Tom Aspinall is looking out Ciryl. If you name out somebody, that doesn’t imply something. Like Ciryl known as out Tom Aspinall, and Tom Aspinall simply mentioned, ‘I don’t need you, I’m trying ahead. I’m ready for Jon Jones,’ which is sensible since you solely look ahead and attempt to have more cash, extra problem.
“So, Jon Jones is the problem for Tom Aspinall now. …In case you get within the cage with Jon Jones, with Francis Ngannou, why ought to he be scared? I imply that is his job, however it’s solely about timing, it’s solely concerning the alternative. Nobody gave me any supply for (Jailton) Almeida. Nobody gave me any supply for Curtis Blaydes. You possibly can discuss to Mick Maynard, Dana White, Hunter Campbell. Nobody gave any supply for Tom Aspinall earlier than July (27), nobody gave any supply for Curtis Blaydes. By no means by any means. So folks maintain saying Ciryl is ducking, ducking. He’s not ducking anybody. If making a selection is ducking, then you definately don’t perceive the sport.”
Lopez says Gane was prepared to struggle Aspinall at UFC 300 in April, however Aspinall was anticipating an even bigger struggle. By the point Gane was supplied Aspinall at UFC 304, he had already dedicated to filming his film.
“I requested Mick Maynard and Hunter to place Tom Aspinall for UFC 300,” Lopez defined. “However they couldn’t as a result of Aspinall was anticipating Jon Jones to simply accept the struggle. I can’t ever say Aspinall is ducking Ciryl. This man is a monster, he’s a courageous man. However when Ciryl name him out, and he mentioned no to Ciryl, it’s as a result of he has a greater supply. He’s anticipating higher. He desires for himself, for his household, for his legacy, he desires to struggle Jon Jones which is sensible. I completely perceive him. That’s the sport. However that’s not sincere for him to say Ciryl ducked him.
“The place is the proof of that? Who mentioned that Ciryl mentioned no to him? Ciryl by no means mentioned no to him. He couldn’t struggle and even when the UFC was asking, and I might present you the message. They had been like, ‘We all know that that is the body of time that we gave you to do the film, however nonetheless we try. Are you able to let down the film and are available do that?’ That is an excessive amount of. Ciryl will get sued and go to courtroom and pay tons of cash to Netflix to cease that film from going. The one supply for UFC 300 was Pavlovich and Pavlovich mentioned no.”
Pavlovich wound up combating Alexander Volkov final month at UFC on ABC 6, dropping a unanimous resolution. Now, Gane will run issues again with Volkov at UFC 308 on Oct. 26 in Abu Dhabi after defeating him convincingly in June 2021.
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