Ciryl Gane, who is primarily known as a professional mixed martial artist competing in the heavyweight division of the UFC, does not have a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu (BJJ) belt ranking publicly available. Furthermore, there is no evidence that he has ever trained in the gi and most of his BJJ sessions seem to be in a no-gi, MMA setting which is sensible considering his profession.
It’s worth noting that BJJ belt rankings are typically associated with practitioners who have trained extensively in BJJ and competed in the sport-specific BJJ competitions. However, fighters in MMA often train in a variety of martial arts disciplines, including BJJ, and may focus on a broader skill set rather than emphasizing belt rankings. In other words, it’s fair to assume that Ciryl Gane’s official BJJ ranking is a white belt.
Obviously, though, there is evidence that his BJJ skills far surpass your average white belt. Both athletically and technically, this seems pretty clear. For instance, he currently has three professional submissions under his belt as an MMA fighter, including a heel hook in the UFC. Furthermore, he also tried the same move on Francis N’Gannou at UFC 270.
What’s also worth noting is that grappling is definitely a weakness of Gane. Before turning to MMA, he was a top kickboxer and Muay Thai fighter. Therefore, his grappling is often a secondary aspect of his fighting. Nonetheless, just because you can’t grapple effectively against the likes of N’Gannou or Jon Jones – it doesn’t mean you’re a poor grappler.
In other words, if Gane suddenly turned up wearing a BJJ purple belt then it wouldn’t be too surprising. At this point, neither would it be undeserved either. As ever, the story of Gane’s BJJ belt rank is a timely reminder that BJJ belts are subjective and are often interpreted differently when looking at professional MMA fighters, compared with BJJ hobbyists.
