Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov are set to face each other in a heavyweight bout at UFC 308 in Abu Dhabi on October 26, with both fighters aiming for a No. 1 contender spot.
Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov have their eyes set on a No. 1 contender spot.
Sources confirmed to MMA Fighting that Gane and Volkov will clash in a heavyweight bout at UFC 308. The event is scheduled for Oct. 26 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Contracts are yet to be officially signed, though.
Ag. Fight first broke the news.
This marks the second encounter between Gane and Volkov. Their first fight took place at a UFC APEX event in June 2021, where Gane won by unanimous decision after five rounds.
Gane (12-2) recently rebounded from a tough loss to Jon Jones at UFC 285. He scored a second-round TKO against Serghei Spivac at UFC Paris this past September. That loss to Jones was Gane’s second attempt to become the undisputed heavyweight champion, having previously held an interim title. Now, he aims to leap back into title contention by stopping the surging Volkov.
Volkov (38-10) has been on a tear since his submission loss to Tom Aspinall in March 2022. He’s racked up four consecutive wins, including a unanimous decision over Sergei Pavlovich this past June. His streak also features finishes of ranked heavyweights like Tai Tuivasa, Alexandr Romanov, and Jairzinho Rozenstruik.
Currently, Gane and Volkov hold the No. 5 and No. 7 spots respectively in the MMA Fighting Global Rankings.
Contributors: Guilherme Cruz and Mike Heck from MMA Fighting.