It was a historic moment. In Houston on August 7, Ciryl Gane became the first Frenchman to win a UFC world belt with the interim heavyweight title by putting up TKO Derrick Lewis. Despite their victory, the Habs received a lower purse than their opponent.
In the NBA franchise room of the Rockets, Ciryl Gane had martyred the American, pushing the referee to interrupt the fight from the 3me round. But if it signed a resounding success, the Vendéen touched a very distant sum to which its rival pocketed.
“My scholarship was $ 350,000. You take away 30% of the taxes, that is, 240,000, converted into euros, it is 200,000. There is the 20% that you give to your team… It is around 160,000 euros ”, he explained, this Monday, in the Team. For his part, Derrick Lewis received about $ 700,000 (595,000 euros).
This difference is explained by the style of Ciryl Gane (31), considered unspectacular by some observers, including the head of the UFC, Dana White. And the French know it. “You need an image and a rating to boost equity markets,” he added. My career is still young. But we are not going to complain even if my opponent touched more than $ 700,000. Derrick Lewis has a big picture, a story (25 wins, including 20 by KO, editor’s note). “
But his rating continues to climb and he could have a much bigger purse in his next fight. “Bon Gamin” should face star Francis Ngannou, also a former member of the MMA factory and current heavyweight champion. A confrontation that runs the risk of being worth its weight in gold …