Ciryl Gane praises coach Fernand Lopez after winning UFC title: “He knew that I could do something in the sport”

Ciryl Gane praised his coach Fernand Lopez after winning his UFC title, saying that “he knew that I could do something in the sport.”

Gane knocked out Derrick Lewis in the third round of their main event battle at UFC 265 to become the new interim UFC heavyweight champion. It was another phenomenal performance by Gane, who improved to a perfect 10-0 in MMA, including an incredible 7-0 record in the UFC heavyweight division. Given that Gane only turned pro three years ago, what he has accomplished in such a short amount of time has been absolutely nothing short of remarkable, and the Frenchman knows Lopez has been a big part of his success.

Taking to his social media in the days after winning the interim UFC heavyweight belt, Gane praised Lopez for seeing something in him and for believing in him. Lopez was the original trainer of Francis Ngannou, and he also trains fellow UFC fighters Fares Ziam and Nassourdine Imavov in addition to Gane. While Lopez might not get the love that the bigger-name coaches in MMA get, Gane made sure to credit him for all of his help during his journey from a Muay Thai fighter into becoming one of the best MMA heavyweights.

This belt doesn’t belong to me, it belongs to my team. When I started MMA three years ago, it was because @lopez_fernand had seen something in me. He knew that I could do something in the sport. So he did everything he could to help me reach that goal, and now here we are. The road is far from over, but he and my team at @mma_factory_paris already changed my life forever. See you all soon for the next Chapter.

Where do you rank Fernand Lopez among the top coaches in MMA right now after Ciryl Gane won the interim UFC heavyweight title at UFC 265?