Title: Curtis Blaydes Doubts Ciryl Gane Can Fill Holes in His Grappling Game

UFC heavyweight contender Curtis Blaydes recently shared his doubts about Ciryl Gane's ability to improve his grappling game after his loss to Jon Jones. In an interview with LowKick MMA, Blaydes stated that Gane, like many other fighters, has holes in his game because they only focus on one aspect of MMA.

Gane's recent loss to Jones at UFC 285 highlighted his weakness in grappling, as he was quickly taken down and submitted. Blaydes believes that it will take years for Gane to improve his grappling skills, and he does not expect him to reach a high enough level.

Wrestling has cost Gane in his previous fights, including his title fight against Francis Ngannou at UFC 270, where he was taken down four times. Blaydes, who holds the UFC record for most takedowns landed, does not see Gane ever being able to fill the holes in his grappling game.

“I think he’s like a lot of guys: He got away without having to wrestle, just like Francis when he fought Stipe (Miocic)” Blaydes said. “He got away with not having to learn how to wrestle. It’s not just him.

“There’s a lot of guys with holes in their games because they only focus on one aspect of MMA. It’s not like we didn’t already know that it was a hole. I know a lot of people are expecting him just to plug it. It takes years to learn how to grapple. He’s not going to get it. He’s not going to get it. I don’t expect him to get it.”

Blaydes also commented on the Jones vs. Gane fight, stating that it played out the way he expected it to; only quicker. He believed that Jones would use his grappling skills to hold Gane down, and he was not surprised when Jones submitted him.

Blaydes will have the opportunity to showcase his skills when he faces Sergey Pavlovich in the UFC Fight Night 222 headliner on April 22. With his impressive record and dominant wrestling skills, Blaydes has the potential to emerge as a title contender in the heavyweight division.