Sergey Spivak has been a frightening heavyweight contender since first entering the UFC back in 2019.
This Saturday, UFC Paris will be headlined by a matchup between two titans in ‘Polar Bear‘ and countryman Cyril Gane. Both have a plethora of devastating finishes. Both will be gunning for another.
At just 28-years-old, Spivak could still have the UFC’s heavyweight division at his fingertips for years to come. Here, we look at how the Moldovan mixed martial artist became the name he is today.
Career To-Date
Sergey Spivak is certainly a pioneer for Moldovan athletes on the international stage. A country globally-renowned for its melting pot of cultures (Ukraine, Russia, Romania), ‘Polar Bear‘s well-rounded game is certainly indicative of his homeland.
He made his professional MMA debut at the meer age of 19, finishing Andrey Serebrianikov in the first round via TKO within Ukranian outfit Real Fight Promotion. It was another promotion from the same country, WWFC, where a young Spivak would start to get recognised in Europe.
The Moldovan would go on to fight six times within the organisation, finishing all of his opponents within the first round. His final victory came against sport veteran Tony ‘Kryptonite‘ Lopez, submitting the American four minutes in via neck crank.
Spivak’s timely UFC call-up finally arrived in 2019, after bulldozing his way through the continental scene. His first fight would be against division gatekeeper Walt Harris. Unfortunately for Spivak, his unblemished record would finally be forced to halt in brutal fashion, as he was subsequently finished just 50 seconds into the fight courtesy of a series of knees and punches.
‘Polar Bear‘ would be allowed to avenge his loss, and returned to the octagon several months later with a second-round submission of soon-to-be top contender Tai Tuivasa. He was unable to continue this return to form, however, coming up short against Polish fighter Marcin Tybura via decision.
Despite early inconsistencies, Spivak has gone on to put together a commendable record against the heavyweight division’s ranked fighters. The 28-year-old has become unstuck just once since the Tybura loss, and that was to top prospect Tom Aspinall.
Recent finishes against the likes of Derrick Lewis, Augusto Sakai and Aleksei Oleinik have seen Spivak rise to #7 in the heavyweight rankings.
Sergey Spivak Fighting Style
Just by looking at Spivak’s record, it’s clear to see why he’s seen as an enthralling fighter. Just three of his 19 bouts have made it to the final bell, with 12 not even making it past the opening five minutes.
The Moldovan assumes a strong Sambo skillset within the octagon, making it incredibly difficult for some to remain standing throughout.
‘Polar Bear‘ has an average takedown accuracy of 66% under the UFC banner. Compare this to Curtis Blaydes’ 53%, Jon Jones’ 44% and Ciryl Gane’s 21%, and it puts into the perspective the successful output of Spivak’s attempts to take the fight to the ground.
He managed to take Derrick Lewis down six times in just three minutes, before completing the bout-ending arm triangle choke. One area where Spivak seems at his most comfortable is whenever he manages to assume top position. From here, the 28-year-old can rain down vicious ground-and-pound strikes, or look for submissions once attaining mount or back mount.
Spivak’s striking and movement do sometimes leave a lot to be desired. The Moldovan native hasn’t actually finished an opponent on the feet within the UFC, despite a steadily-improving record.
UFC Paris: Gane vs. Spivak
This Saturday will surely mark the toughest opponent Spivak has faced in his career to-date.
Ciryl Gane is a technically-exceptional heavyweight fighter with a skillset that could pose a serious threat to the Moldovan. ‘Bon Gamin‘ made his promotion debut just five months after his upcoming opponent, amassing a record of 8-2 under the UFC banner.
The Frenchman was made to look incredibly amateurish last time out, being submitted by sport icon Jon Jones after two minutes. Gane has fought for the division’s title twice, missing out on his first shot via decision to Francis Ngannou.
It was in these two losses where areas of Gane’s game were exposed against elite competition. The 33-year-old successfully defended just one of Ngannou’s five takedowns, allowing the Cameroonian to clock 8:29 in control time. He also defended neither of Jones’ attempts.
As previously mentioned, takedown accuracy is an area where Spivak proves himself against the rest of the division. The general consesus is that Gane is the main event’s favourite, as reflected with the bookies’ odds of around 1/2. There is a sizeable difference in quality on the feet between the duo, with ‘Bon Gamin‘ being seen as a new breed of heavyweight fighter who possesses the fluidity on a lighter weight class.
If the Moldovan manages to get Gane onto his back early-on, however, it could rapidly silence the French crowd. UFC Paris’ headliner could simply come down to a case of striking versus grappling. Spivak’s chin has been rocked by Harris and Aspinall in the past, and now he’ll have to withstand the power of Gane if he wants to emerge victorious.
Do you think Sergey Spivak will beat Ciryl Gane? Will you be tuning in to UFC Paris this Saturday? Let us know in the comments!
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images
