WATCH | Ciryl Gane spars with NBA star Rudy Gobert ahead of UFC 308 return

Heavyweight contender Ciryl Gane has trained with NBA star Rudy Gobert ahead of his UFC return.

‘Bon Gamin’ hasn’t been seen in the cage since a fight in his home country of France a year ago. In Paris, Ciryl Gane scored a second-round knockout victory over Serghei Spivac, his first bout since losing to Jon Jones last March. Despite rumors of the heavyweight returning to France for his next bout, he will instead be traveling to Abu Dhabi.

In October at UFC 308, Ciryl Gane will face former Bellator champion, Alexander Volkov. For his part, ‘Drago’ is riding a four-fight winning streak, last defeating Sergei Pavlovich in June. The two’s bout in Abu Dhabi will be a rematch of their June 2021 encounter, where the Frenchman earned a unanimous decision victory.

While Ciryl Gane is training in France, he decided to train with one of his countrymen. Earlier today, the MMA Factory X page posted a video of the former UFC interim champion training with Rudy Gobert. For the unaware, the latter currently plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves and is a three-time NBA All-Star.

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— MMA FACTORY PARIS (@mmafactory_fr) September 9, 2024

Ciryl Gane trains with NBA giant Rudy Gobert ahead of UFC 308 comeback

For the last few years, Rudy Gobert has trained off and on in MMA. With that in mind, the 31-year-old decided to hop in for a round with Ciryl Gane. In the video posted by the UFC heavyweight’s gym, it’s clear that the two aren’t going full speed. Still, the two trade a few shots, and it’s clear that Gobert is badly out of his depth.

Still, it was a fun moment that quickly spread online. While the two largely didn’t have a lot of power behind their punches, Gane did land a clean shot that quickly ended their sparring session. Gobert has trained with his hands a little bit but was clearly no match for ‘Bon Gamin’.

That being said, few are. Ahead of Ciryl Gane’s UFC 308 return, the Frenchman has repeatedly traded words with Tom Aspinall. With a win next month, ‘Bon Gamin’ could potentially earn a shot at the British champion. However, that depends on what happens with Jon Jones as well, and his fight with Stipe Miocic later this year.

What do you make of this video featuring Rudy Gobert and the former UFC champion? Are you excited for Ciryl Gane’s return next month?