Alexander Volkov thinks Ciryl Gane is the man to beat at UFC 328. Speaking at media day in Newark, New Jersey, Volkov said Gane is “more favorite right now” against Alex Pereira in the interim heavyweight title fight.
Volkov pointed to Gane’s movement as the key problem. “He has really great footwork,” Volkov said, adding that Pereira would need to pressure Gane and work on counterattacks, but “Ciryl Gane don’t give him the opportunity.” He said Gane “just punches and kicks and moves a lot,” calling it “a hard thing for Alex Pereira to solve in the fight” and saying, “I’m not sure he can do this.”
The prediction carries weight because Volkov has already shared the cage with Gane and knows what that style can do over five rounds. Before losing a split decision to Gane, Volkov had been on a four-fight winning streak, then rebounded with a split decision win over Jailton Almeida. He is now set to face Waldo Cortes-Acosta on the main card of UFC 328, keeping him in the middle of a heavyweight picture that remains unsettled.
That uncertainty matters because the interim belt is being contested while Tom Aspinall’s return date is still unclear. Pereira entered the bout as a slight -115 favorite, with Gane listed as a -105 underdog, but Volkov said he understands where he stands in the division and may need “better performances” if he wants another shot at the belt. “Maybe I need to show better performances, better show to fight for the belt, so I will just try to do this,” he said.
For Volkov, the message was blunt: Gane’s style can overwhelm even a dangerous striker like Pereira, and the heavyweight division may keep its title shots for those who prove they can solve that puzzle first.
