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UFC heavyweight Ciryl Gane is to risk fighting Alexander Volkov as the two rising contenders prepare to face off in June.
Both men consider themselves to be one or two more wins away from a potential shot at the title - but in the modern age, it’s pretty difficult to know what direction the heavyweight division is going to be in.
Gane is pumped up for Volkov
We’re coming off the back of Francis Ngannou’s sensational knockout win over Stipe Miocic, making “The Predator” the man to beat. Plus, with Jon Jones and Derrick Lewis also in the mix, things are looking pretty crowded.
Alas, even though the prospect of facing a man like Volkov may be daunting to some, that won’t be the case for Gane.
“They say “the bigger the risk, the bigger the reward”, and I say let’s go !”
Gane holds a professional record of just 8-0 having made his professional debut back in 2018. He’s already viewed as a potential star in the wake of wins over Junior dos Santos and Jairzinho Rozenstruik. Sure, he may not currently be viewed as the most marketable fighter in the world, but he seems to have a pretty enticing style that gives him versatility across both striking and his ground game.
On the flip side you’ve got Alexander Volkov who is never one to shy away from a scrap.
“Drago” is riding a two-fight win streak after vicious finishes over Walt Harris and Alistair Overeem, with many dubbing him the most underrated heavyweight in the UFC right now.
The idea seems to be that he’ll continue to fly under the radar until the day when the promotion is looking for someone to step up to the championship level. At that point, he can be in the right place at the right time.
There’s an argument to be made that the winner of this contest could even go on to fight Stipe Miocic in a number one contender eliminator.
Of course, there are plenty of hurdles in the way, and we first need to see how both men fare when they collide in June.
