UFC Paris free fight: Ciryl Gane smashes Junior dos Santos, earns first knockout inside the Octagon | Video

Ciryl Gane has been known to have some pretty heavy hands to complement his well-rounded mixed martial arts (MMA) attack, making him one of the most dangerous big men in the sport. But, it took “Bon Gamin” a bit before he earned his first victory via strikes inside the Octagon.

His first two wins came by way of submission, and then he went the distance against Jairzinho Rozenstruik in his third fight for the promotion. But, when he was paired up against former UFC Heavyweight champion, Junior dos Santos, fight fans expected a knockout finish ... one way or the other.

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As expected, the majority of the fight played out on the feet with not one single takedown attempted by either man. While no one connected on a homerun shot in the opening five minutes, it wasn’t for a lack of trying, with “JDS” swinging big bombs, while Gane was carefully looking for an opening.

But, halfway through round two, Gane wobbled dos Santos with a hard jab, forcing the ex-champion to retreat. Smelling blood, Gane pounced on his wounded foe and crushed him with a hard elbow to the side of the head, sending the Brazilian bomber crashing to the canvas. Once there, dos Santos ate two more big follow-up shots for his troubles, ending his UFC career in the process.

Now, Gane will attempt to get back into the thick of the championship picture by scoring a win over Tai Tuivasa eight months removed from his first loss at the hands of division champion, Francis Ngannou. A win over “Bam Bam” could earn him a rematch, while a loss sends him tumbling down the rankings, making his climb up a bit tougher.

MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC Paris fight card RIGHT HERE, starting with the ESPN+ “Prelims” undercard bouts at 12 p.m. ET, followed by the ESPN+ main card start time at 3 p.m. ET.

To check out the latest and greatest UFC Paris news and notes be sure to hit up our comprehensive event archive here. For the updated and finalized “Gane vs. Tuivasa” fight card and ESPN+ line up click here.