UFC Fight Night takeaways: Heavyweight belt in Gane's future

Rising heavyweight Ciryl Gane earned the biggest win of his career by dominating Jairzinho Rozenstruik in Saturday's UFC Fight Night main event.

Here are four takeaways from the card.

Gane ascends to contention

Gane said he's ready to be in the heavyweight title picture following his lopsided win. And that's exactly where the France native deserves to be.

"Bon Gamin" moved to 8-0 as a professional and 5-0 in the UFC on Saturday, and he'll likely crack the heavyweight top five after taking out the No. 4-ranked contender.

Gane and Rozenstruik did not produce an entertaining bout, but the former pulled off the victory and kept his undefeated record intact. He was smart, tactical, and in control the whole time, and he shouldn't be criticized for not going for the kill. The onus was on Rozenstruik to push the pace in the later rounds and look for a come-from-behind finish. Ultimately, Gane displayed an impressive amount of skill considering he's been a pro fighter for less than three years.

The 30-year-old continues to get better as he gains more experience, and it's clear that he's here to stay. Gane could be one win away from a title shot, and his next fight - whether it's against Derrick Lewis, Alexander Volkov, or someone else - is sure to be a big one. If he continues to improve at this rate, Gane could very well be a future UFC champion.

Surging prospect Ankalaev proves his worth

The jury was still out on Magomed Ankalaev's potential before Saturday, as he had yet to fight a top-10 light heavyweight. But now it's clear that the Dagestani is one to watch in the division.

The No. 11-ranked Ankalaev earned the biggest victory of his career in the co-main event, defeating No. 8 Nikita Krylov by unanimous decision. Ankalaev pushed his winning streak to six fights and climbed to 15-1 as a pro. Aside from a Hail Mary submission by Paul Craig in Ankalaev's UFC debut, the 28-year-old is perfect inside the Octagon.

Ankalaev didn't score a devastating finish like he did last time out against Ion Cutelaba, but his latest performance was impressive in its own way. After Krylov won the first round by throwing more strikes, Ankalaev turned the tables in the second frame and resorted to his grappling in the final stanza to secure the victory.

The fight wasn't as exciting as expected, but Ankalaev showed he can battle through some adversity and get the job done. Similar to Gane's triumph over Rozenstruik, Ankalaev displayed good fight IQ and proved there's more to his game than just brutal knockout power.

Munhoz, Rivera deliver in rematch

Bantamweight contenders Pedro Munhoz and Jimmie Rivera squared off for the second time, and they took home "Fight of the Night" honors after their three-round battle.

Munhoz established an early lead by attacking Rivera with devastating calf kicks, and the Brazilian ultimately rode that momentum to a clear-cut decision win. However, Rivera hung tough and hunted for the finish until the very end, making for an entertaining clash.

Their first fight, a split-decision victory for Rivera in 2015, was also exciting. This matchup seems like it would continue to deliver. Fans definitely wouldn't complain if Munhoz and Rivera decided to settle the score in the future.

Munhoz snapped a two-fight skid with the victory, though the No. 8-ranked bantamweight would be 5-1 in his past six bouts if a controversial loss to Frankie Edgar last August went his way. "The Young Punisher" re-entered bantamweight contention by avenging his loss to Rivera and will now look to climb into the division's top five with another big win later in 2021.

Moises becoming a factor at 155 pounds

If you weren't already looking at Thiago Moises as a future contender in the lightweight division, you should probably start now.

Moises pulled off the upset against Alexander Hernandez in the featured preliminary bout to earn his third straight victory. Best known as a jiu-jitsu practitioner, Moises overwhelmed his opponent in the stand-up department and put on one of his best performances to date.

Still only 25 years old, Moises has yet to enter his prime and already holds notable wins over Michael Johnson, Bobby Green, and now Hernandez. He has a lot of work to do before he can be considered a top contender in the stacked 155-pound weight class, but Moises is certainly on the right path.