Daniel Cormier TV - Ciryl Gane on people SLEEPING ON HIM vs. Tom Aspinall, BAD loss to Jones

Summary

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The Herd with Colin Cowherd: Daniel Cormier TV – Ciryl Gane on Being Underrated vs. Tom Aspinall & Reflecting on the Jones Loss

Date: October 25, 2025

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Overview

This episode of The Herd (Daniel Cormier TV segment) features Daniel Cormier in conversation with top UFC heavyweight contender Ciryl Gane ahead of Gane's title bout against Tom Aspinall. The discussion delves into Gane’s preparation, the perception that he's being overlooked, lessons from his loss to Jon Jones, his support system, and what winning the championship would mean to him. The tone is candid, personal, and motivational, highlighting not just the competitive aspects of MMA, but also the emotional journey at the elite level.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

Ciryl Gane's Fight Camp and Training Approach

[04:16 – 06:33]

• Gane feels focused, excited, and motivated as fight night approaches.

• He ramped up his wrestling training, working with elite talent including a Russian Olympic-level wrestler in Paris, and world champion Rogue Umar Khan in Dubai.

• Emphasized alternating focus between wrestling and striking throughout training camp.

• Gane’s commitment is evident—he created an intentional “bubble,” being away from family for almost three months to maximize preparations.

• Recently moved to Morocco for a more peaceful environment and personal safety, away from his increasing fame in Paris.

  “I traveled a lot. I did a big bubble, like I didn’t see my family since maybe almost three months now.”
  — Ciryl Gane [06:07]

Handling Public Perception: Underdog Against Aspinall

[07:08 – 10:13]

• Cormier addresses the narrative: many assume Aspinall is a clear favorite, surprising considering Gane’s resume.

• Gane questions why people expect a knockout loss to Aspinall when he’s survived – and even outlasted – true power-punchers like Derrick Lewis and Francis Ngannou.

• Both agree that social media "influence" distorts actual fight analysis, making narratives misleading.

  “This is an influence, you see … about the social media, about the people who don’t know really what is MMA.”
  — Ciryl Gane [08:37 & 08:43]

• Gane points out that his experience in long fights is a factor, while Aspinall hasn’t yet been tested beyond the early rounds.

• Embraces being underestimated:

  “It’s funny when the people like to underestimate me. So I like this position.”
  — Ciryl Gane [10:10]

The Stakes: Is This “Do or Die” for Gane?

[10:13 – 11:00]

• At age 36, Gane doesn’t see this fight as his “now or never” moment, stressing he remains healthy and confident of remaining a top contender.

• He notes his sustained presence in the UFC’s heavyweight elite and his athlete’s mentality.

  “Imagine we lost this fight, maybe next year … I'm gonna have another chance for sure if I want, because I'm an athlete, I'm a competitor.”
  — Ciryl Gane [10:25]

Reflecting on the Hardest Career Moment: Jon Jones Loss

[12:05 – 13:03]

• Gane admits the toughest part of his career was the sudden, short-notice matchup with Jon Jones. He was not in ideal shape, leading to a difficult loss and social/media backlash.

• The experience forced him to question his trajectory, but also sharpened his focus.

  “We took this fight, we was not in the good conditioning … and the social media, the media, every people around do some bad buzz on it, and it was really hard.”
  — Ciryl Gane [12:05]

• Emerged more dedicated, channeling negative experiences into motivation:

  “At this time, something changing and now I'm really focused on one thing. To be the champion.”
  — Ciryl Gane [13:03]

Support System and Mental Resilience

[13:04 – 14:12]

• Credits family—parents, siblings, wife, daughters—for emotional stability and humility.

• Gane’s late start in MMA and rapid ascent have kept him grounded.

  “I got my hand on my shoulder. That's why I started really late. I got success really quickly, but I stay really humble because of this. So even on the hard moment, this helped me also.”
  — Ciryl Gane [13:40]

What Would Winning the UFC Heavyweight Title Mean?

[14:12 – 15:02]

• For Gane, victory would bring gratitude and validation for his sacrifices.

• Proud to win not just for himself, but for his coaches, friends, family, and supporters worldwide.

  “I'm gonna be really full of this feeling, like grateful … And you're gonna make me proud. Proud and really happy for my coaches, my friends, my family, and the family in friends and everywhere in the world.”
  — Ciryl Gane [14:43 – 14:52]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Perception and Social Media:
  Ciryl Gane - “Influence about the social media, about the people who don’t know really what is MMA. Yeah, the people just like to watch some videos and okay, this guy is the guy. He’s the best guy.” [08:43]

• On Motivation:
  Daniel Cormier: “It motivates you.”
  Ciryl Gane: “Yeah, exactly.” [10:13–10:14]

• On Support System:
  Ciryl Gane: “No, just my real world. Yeah. My family, daughters, wife ... I stay really humble because of this. So even on the hard moment, this helped me also.” [13:40]

• On The Sacrifice:
  Ciryl Gane: “Because I did a lot of sacrifice.” [14:46]

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Timeline & Timestamps of Key Segments

• [04:16] Start of Conversation—Cormier greets Gane, asks about preparations.
• [05:33] Gane discusses focus on wrestling and intense camp structure.
• [06:07] Gane reveals time away from family for training.
• [06:22] Move to Morocco and reasons for relocation discussed.
• [07:08] Talk on public perception and Aspinall’s hype.
• [08:55] Deep dive into fight matchup and why Gane is being overlooked.
• [10:13] “Now or never?” discussion; Gane on his career timeline.
• [12:05] Gane candid about the pain and impact of the Jon Jones fight.
• [13:04] Gane’s support system and how personal foundation helps in tough times.
• [14:36] What the championship would mean personally.
• [15:02] Episode wraps up with well-wishes and fight promo.

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Summary

This episode delivers an in-depth look at Ciryl Gane’s mindset and approach as he prepares for another UFC title challenge. He's self-aware about where fans and media place him, uses doubt as motivation, and demonstrates mature perspective drawn from experience. Cormier guides the conversation with empathy and insight, helping listeners see beyond the headlines into what truly drives a world-class athlete—discipline, family, humility, and a relentless desire for improvement.

Whether you’re a fight fan or interested in the mentality behind elite performance, this episode offers both technical glimpses and heartfelt honesty, making Gane a compelling figure going into his showdown with Tom Aspinall.

Transcript

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[A]

Yeah, I'm feel. I'm feel good, really fine. I'm feel really excited, really focused on this Saturday.

[F]

So yeah, I was watching some videos and you were wrestling. You got like an Olympic level wrestler in there now.

[A]

Which guy?

[F]

It's like a Russian guy.

[A]

You were Instagram. Instagram video with the, the goal. He have the goal in, in, in a duo in Paris. Exactly. Heavyweight, light, heavyweight, light 211. Yeah, exactly.

[F]

Are you wrestling him straight wrestling or are you doing MMA wrestling?

[A]

No, it was about wrestling. He was the best wrestling. He was in battle in Hartfield. I remember I did a stage like almost three weeks there with some, some guys like this. It was a great experience.

[F]

You put on wrestling shoes.

[A]

Yeah, of course.

[F]

What size, what size wrestling shoes do you have?

[A]

Me?

[F]

Fifteen.

[A]

No, stop it.

[F]

What size shoe you have? It look like you got a small foot, man.

[A]

Yeah, eleven and a half.

[F]

You know what size I have?

[A]

You look like. You look like. Yeah, 13.

[F]

That's absolutely right. 13.

[A]

On the number.

[F]

On the number. So you, you made that a focus to go back and just kind of work on the wrestling a little bit.

[A]

Yes, exactly. The, the, the. We did that in the April so long. A long time ago. But after that we did a focus on my striking game and at the end of the camp. We did another focus on the wrestling with some guy there in Dubai with Rogue Umar Khan, the champion of the world championship.

[F]

Yep, yep, yep.

[A]

I'm just gonna fight also this Saturday with his coach, Hamzi Puya. Also Puya. We did it with Puya. So with a lot of guys like.

[F]

This, what, did you do a lot of your camp back at home or did you travel more for this camp?

[A]

Yeah, I traveled a lot. I traveled a lot. I did a big bubble, like I didn't see my family since maybe almost three months now.

[F]

Wow.

[A]

Yeah. And we did a real bubble, a real focus at first in Paris because I live in Morocco now.

[F]

You live in Morocco?

[A]

Yeah, since. Since this summer. And so I did a bubble at first in Paris and I did the bubble in, in Dubai.

[F]

Why'd you move to Morocco?

[A]

Peaceful for the place. Yeah.

[F]

You probably like super famous now in Paris, huh?

[A]

Yes, a little bit. And sometimes when you're famous, that's some good on some side, but you can't go nowhere.

[F]

You can't go to grocery store.

[A]

It's not about the security also.

[F]

Yeah, security is dangerous.

[A]

Yeah.

[F]

Fans like run at you.

[A]

It's not about fan. It's more about the people looking for your watch or looking for.

[F]

Oh, yeah, yeah. Hey, they got a lot of money in Morocco. Take your watch. In Morocco, they all got watches.

[A]

No, no, no. In Morocco you have the safety.

[F]

Yeah, yeah. So you're fighting Tom Aspen all this weekend, I got to tell you. So there's a few things about this fight that are very interesting. One is how people seem to want to write off you in this fight. Like, are you surprised by how much people are almost making it feel like it's a foregone conclusion that Tom Aspinall is going to win the fight this weekend?

[A]

The influence. I'm going to talk about the hand fluence because he finished very well in the very first round, our second round, and because I'm different, like to take my time and because he's on a good race. So maybe the influencer people like to follow. But when you're thinking a little bit about the strength and the weakness and the former opponent we had and all of the big pictures, it's not going to be an easy fight.

[F]

So that's what I'm saying though, right? When you look at everything, it would seem more likely that it's a close fight opposed to a wipeout. But the general public doesn't seem to understand that. So I asked myself these questions. When breaking on the fight, is Tom Aspinall a bigger power threat than Derrick Lewis?

[D]

No.

[F]

No, but you finished Derrick Lewis late in the fight. Is Tom Aspinall a bigger power threat than Francis Ngannou? No, but you fought Francis Ngannou for 25 minutes, so where's this idea that you're gonna get knocked out coming from?

[A]

I. I don't know. This is an influence, you see.

[F]

What are you saying?

[A]

The influence? Exactly.

[F]

Influence.

[A]

Influence about the social media, about the people who don't know really what is mma. Yeah, the people just like to watch some videos and okay, this guy is the guy. He's the best guy.

[F]

Yeah.

[A]

But when you did a little bit more focus on it, like you did, and the speed.

[F]

Right, and the speed, you're the one guy in the heavyweight division that could move around with him. So also, is this the time? Right? Like, and I, I, I said this publicly, I thought that if there was a time that Jon Jones should have fought Tom Aspinall, it was now. Because Tom's never fought a long fight.

[A]

Yeah.

[F]

How does he respond to the long fight? Is right now the perfect time to be taking this fight? Because again, when you're break, when you're basing all these things, experience in long fights, you have that too. So when you look at all these things, that should kind of sway the idea that the fight's going to be much closer and maybe sway in your direction. You have experience in all those. So, like, is this the time to fight him? Because what happens when he goes to round three for the first time in his career?

[A]

Exactly. So we will see. I'm not a magician. I can't predict, but I know it's going to be in my advantage. I got really more experience in the catch. Really more experience about the big day or so. So. Yeah, but we, what you say? We knew that. Yeah, yeah, we knew that already since a long time ago. So that's why I'm really excited. That's why I'm. It's funny when the people like to underestimate me. So I like this position.

[F]

It motivates you.

[A]

Yeah, exactly.

[F]

Do you feel that now being your third UFC championship is like, do or die for you?

[A]

Do what?

[F]

Like, do. Like it's now or never for you?

[A]

Like, it's now or never, naturally. Like, I'm almost 36. I'm not really old physically. I'm free injury. So if you want, if, if I got. Imagine we lost this fight, maybe next next year or after next year, I'm gonna have another chance for sure if I want, because I'm an athlete, I'm a competitor. And since three years, almost four, I'm in the top three.

[F]

Yeah. Every time.

[A]

So if I want to stay on the top three, I think I can.

[F]

With the skill set and everything. Yeah, yeah. You, you seem to have the type of style that would hold up events.

[A]

That's okay.

[F]

What happened?

[A]

No, nothing.

[F]

Who's doing that?

[A]

I don't know, but she, she do something with the camera. Ah, with the camera behind is your guy? Ah, yeah, this is my guy.

[F]

This is making noise in the middle of the interview.

[A]

No, the noise is not from, from him, it's from her.

[F]

I promise it was.

[A]

Hey, get this guy. Don't be a sneak. Sorry, ladies.

[F]

In this career, right, and becoming champion, obviously you're the interim champion before. Now you're going to fight to try to become the, the, the lineal champion of the ufc. What, what has been the hardest part of dealing with this whole career, right? From the, the ups to the downs, the, the good, the bad. Like, what's been the hardest part of dealing with this career as you are on the verge of what, once again, the biggest fight of your career.

[A]

Yeah, I think the, the, the, the, the harder was again, Jon Jones, because we took this fight, we was not in the good conditioning, and we took this fight at five weeks before the fight, and the result, of course, at the very first round like this, and the people, the social media, the media, every people around do some bad buzz on it, and it was really hard. Like, at this time, Alfam, I got one side of myself say, okay, you.

[F]

Thought about, like, not being done with it.

[A]

I don't give a shit. I started this sport just like that at 28 years old. Like, I'm not dreaming about that at first, you see. And after that, asked me some question and I did some focus. And, and at this time, that's why at this time, something changing and, and now I'm really focused on one thing. To be the champion.

[F]

Yeah.

[A]

And this Peter champ.

[F]

So who do you, when you have those times, Cyril, who do you lean on? Like, who do you lean on when you go through those types of times? Because it's those moments, right, in those big fights where it's the third and the fourth and the fifth and the shit. And the shit's hard, right? And it's hard as fuck. And you're like, you got to kind of almost remember that moment of not having the success you wanted and how motivated you were to get to where you are to have the opportunity again. Like, who do you lean on in those moments that can actually help you to kind of get you through.

[A]

No, just my, my real world.

[F]

Yeah.

[A]

Yeah. My family, daughters, wife, and like, like I say, I grew up with, with, with my, with my parents, my sister, brother with a lot of loves, so I'm stable. Like, I got my hand on my shoulder. That's why I started really late. I, I, I, I got a success really quickly, but I stay really humble because of this. So even on the, on the hard moment, this helped me also.

[F]

You see, you know, you, you've always kind of been very measured. I remember we talked one time way back in before you fought Francis. We talked in Anaheim, and it was the same thing. You were so young in this game, but you've always had a very good head on your shoulder. What would Saturday night mean to you to become the world champion? You become the champion. You here and new UFC Heavyweight champion. What would that mean to Cyril? Gone.

[A]

Like, I think I'm gonna be really full of this, this feeling, like, grateful.

[F]

Yeah.

[A]

Like, because I did a lot of sacrifice.

[F]

Yeah, Yeah, a lot of sacrifice, a lot of good, a lot of bad. For it to happen with. Be amazing.

[A]

And you're gonna make me proud. Proud and really happy for my coaches, my friends, my family, and the family in friends and everywhere in the world. Awesome.

[F]

Well, good luck this weekend.

[A]

Thank you, my friend.

[F]

Thank you very much. Guys, Cyril Gon fights for the UFC Heavyweight Championship this weekend against Tom Aspinall. Make sure you guys hit that buy button at ESPN pay per View and make sure you go tap in everything. Cyril's doing real good, dude.

[E]

Here.

[F]

Until next time. Peace.

[E]

Hey, what's up?

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