UFC Fight Night 226: Gane vs. Spivak Odds, Schedule, Predictions
September 2, 2023UFC Fight Night 226: Gane vs. Spivak Odds, Schedule, Predictions
Ciryl Gane will look to get back on track with a return to his native France when he welcomes Sergey Spivak to Accor Arena in Paris for the main event of UFC Fight Night 226.
The last time we saw Gane he was getting manhandled by Jon Jones with a first-round submission loss. The new champion exposed Bon Gamin's lack of grappling chops on his way to Gane's second career loss.
Now Gane gets an opportunity to show that he's still one of the best fighters in the UFC's biggest division. Spivak is no easy out and is coming off three consecutive finishes over Greg Hardy, Augusto Sakai and Derrick Lewis.
Manon Fiorot will also get the chance to shine in her home country. The 33-year-old will see Rose Namajunas in her flyweight debut in the co-main event.
Here's a look at the entire schedule as well as a preview and prediction for the biggest bouts on the card.
Fight Card, Schedule and Odds
- Ciryl Gane (-192) vs. Serghei Spivac (+160)
- Manon Fiorot (-198) vs. Rose Namajunas (+164)
- Thiago Moises (+140) vs. Benoit Saint-Denis (-166)
- Bogdan Guskov (+154) vs. Volkan Oezdemir (-185)
- Yanis Ghemmouri (+170) vs. William Gomis (-205)
- Morgan Charriere (-340) vs. Manolo Zecchini (+270)
- Taylor Lapilus (-180) vs. Caolan Loughran (+150)
- Ange Loosa (-166) vs. Rhys McKee (+140)
- Nora Cornolle (+110) vs. Joselyne Edwards (-130)
- Farid Basharat (-395) vs. Kleydson Rodrigues (+310)
- Jacqueline Cavalcanti (-395) vs. Zarah Fairn (+310)
Main Card (ESPN+, 3 p.m. ET)
Prelims (ESPN+, noon ET)
Odds courtesy of DraftKings Sportsbook
Gane vs. Spivak
This is a fascinating main event. While one might expect Gane to get a favorable booking on a card in France coming off a title fight loss, that's not really the case with Spivak on deck.
Both times Gane has lost it was evident that his wrestling needed a lot of work. Francis Ngannou isn't known for his wrestling but was able to use it to completely neutralize Gane en route to a unanimous decision victory.
Spivak might not be as well known as Ngannou or Jones, but he's proven to be a persistent wrestler who averages over five takedowns per 15 minutes, per UFC Stats. According to their data, Spivak took down Derrick Lewis six times before submitting him in the first round.
What makes the matchup so interesting is that Gane is unlike so many strikers in the heavyweight division. While Spivak was able to take away Derrick Lewis's power, Gane is a much more technical striker who approaches his game much more like a welterweight.
Gane's movement will be key. He's light on his feet and able to stick and move. If he can utilize that movement to stay out of clinch range and keep Spivak from closing the distance, it's going to be a good night for him.
It's just hard to shake the memory of just how out of sorts he looked against Jones when pressured.
Prediction: Gane via decision
Namajunas vs. Fiorot
After years of lurking around the top of the strawweight division, Rose Namajunas will venture up to 125 pounds in the co-main event against Manon Fiorot.
"Thug" Rose has an impressive resume that includes winning the title twice, but making the cut down at 31 years old would be a challenge. Now, she gets to take on the challenge of moving up a weight class and seeing where she stands.
She'll find out pretty quickly in the co-main event. Fiorot is not the most well-known name in the division but she's rising up the rankings. After losing her MMA debut in 2018 she has ripped off 10 wins in a row including a unanimous decision win over Katlyn Chookagian.
Her Muay Thai background is easy to see in the cage. She's a dangerous striker and does well in the clinch which could come into play against the smaller Namajunas.
Namajunas had good pop in the strawweight division and her submission game is always dangerous. However, there are real questions about how well either of those traits will translate in a bigger weight class.
We'll find out in this one. With Fiorot's ability to dominate in the clinch, Namajunas is going to have to find ways to create distance and potentially get it to the mat. That seems like a tall order in this one.
Prediction: Fiorot via decision
Moises vs. Saint-Denis
Benoit Saint-Denis has yet to lose a UFC fight since dropping down to lightweight. He made his UFC debut as a last-minute replacement opponent for Elizeu Zaleski dos Santos at welterweight.
Since going back down to his natural weight class he certainly looks like he belongs in the UFC. He's won three-straight fights with two submissions and a TKO to his name. He has demonstrated a well-rounded arsenal with a strong kickboxing striking style and the grappling to submit opponents.
The only question is how he'll respond as the level of competition goes higher.
His last three opponents have collectively one UFC win under their belt. He's essentially fought three fighters in a row who are regional scene-level fighters.
That won't be the case against Thiago Moises. He's a veteran with a 6-4 record in the UFC with his last two fights ending in submission victories.
If he can get Saint-Denis to the mat, it's going to be trouble. But if he can't, then he just might get eaten alive with the striker's kickboxing.
Prediction: Saint-Denis via second-round TKO
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