This past Saturday on the main card of UFC 310, we saw a big time heavyweight rematch that had potential title implications. Former interim champion Ciryl Gane (13-2) and Alexander Volkov (38-11) were running back after their first fight a few years ago.
In their first fight which was a five-round main event, it was Ciryl Gane who coasted his way to a clear victory. Alexander Volkov became extremely motivated after that loss to Gane and went on a run that saw him go 5-1 including a four-fight win streak which included a very impressive win over Sergei Pavlovich earlier this year.
Volkov had looked like a different fighter and he also showed that on Saturday night. From the jump, Volkov was walking Gane down and used a ton of forward pressure to negate the advantages Ciryl Gane had in movement and speed. Gane got a takedown in the first round which sealed that round for him.
In the second round, Volkov rocked Gane with a huge spinning backfist. He also got a takedown in the round, but Gane rocked him late and had his own success which made the round close. I still think Volkov did enough to win that round. In the third round, a scramble saw Volkov end up on top. Nothing really happened the rest of the round so it made for a clear round for Volkov.
When the scores were about to be read, I updated my play-by-play article reflecting that Volkov won the fight. However, to my surprise and the surprise of many, two of the three judges gave the fight to Gane and Alexander Volkov’s winning streak came to an end at UFC 310.
What’s next after UFC 310?
This is a brutal loss for Volkov. Years ago, he was seconds away from earning a title shot before getting knocked out by Derrick Lewis. On Saturday night, it felt like he did enough to secure his fifth straight win which would put him line with either facing Tom Aspinall for the heavyweight title or facing the potential winner of Jon Jones – Tom Aspinall for the heavyweight title.
The two judges who scored the fight for Gane changed everything for Volkov and you have to feel for the man. UFC CEO Dana White found Volkov after the fight and he didn’t shy away from telling the Russian heavyweight that he got screwed out of the victory.
So, what comes next? If we are looking at the heavyweight division, I think what’s next for Volkov will be another rematch and another chance to get redemption. I think he should face Curtis Blaydes next. Blaydes is ranked a couple of spots behind Volkov, but just fought Tom Aspinall for the interim title at UFC 304 last July.
Given the fact that Blaydes is coming off a title loss and he has a win over Volkov, I think it’s a great next fight for Volkov. He gets to face the most recent challenger to Tom Aspinall and he gets the chance to avenge a loss.