Ciryl Gane denies being KO’d by Francis Ngannou in sparring: “Maybe it’s a strategy to intimidate me?”

UFC heavyweight Ciryl Gane has denied that he was knocked out by rival Francis Ngannou in a previous training session.

With UFC 270 being just over 24 hours away, it’s no surprise to see that the tension is really beginning to build between main eventers Francis Ngannou and Ciryl Gane. Both men would ideally prefer to focus their energy on the fight itself but with there being so many outside circumstances to consider, it’s near enough impossible for them not to get drawn into the chaos.

Ngannou, for example, recently said that he once knocked Ciryl Gane out with a head kick during a training session. In response, the challenger “Bon Gamin” rejected the claim during a chat with UFC France.

@ciryl_gane just said on instagram that @francis_ngannou never knocked him down or out in sparring 👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/5DUiW5DoDk

— Diaz Ouyam (@Diazouyam) January 20, 2022

“He [Ngannou] said knock down so it means he put me down with a head kick. Well, that’s completely false… It is to create some buzz [for the UFC 270 main event]. Yeah maybe, maybe it’s a strategy to intimidate me etc. But I think you already know the answer. Haha, he is not going to intimidate me that easy,” said Gane.

Quotes via Sportskeeda

Without any official video footage we won’t know the true answer to this question, but in reality, it doesn’t really matter. It’s all about what is going to go down at UFC 270 in one of the most anticipated title bouts in recent memory.

The power of “The Predator” is going up against the technical prowess of Gane and at this stage, it’s near enough impossible to predict which way it’s going to go.

Do you believe Francis Ngannou knocked Ciryl Gane out with a head kick in a training session? Who do you believe is the favorite heading into this weekend’s UFC 270 main event? Let us know your thoughts on the match-up down in the comments, BJPENN Nation!