- Oct 16, 2026
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Alexander Volkov has cast doubt on Ciryl Gane's status as undisputed heavyweight champion ahead of his own fight this weekend.
The former Bellator heavyweight champion, who carries a 37-10 MMA record and 11-4 UFC mark, faces Rizvan Kuniev at UFC 333 on Saturday in Abu Dhabi. Volkov has won six of his past seven bouts, with his only defeat a disputed split decision to Gane. He enters on a two-fight winning streak over Waldo Cortes-Acosta and Jailton Almeida, and sits ranked No. 2 in the division.
Volkov recently renewed his UFC contract with a multi-fight deal. Earlier this year, he dismissed Gane's interim title clash with Alex Pereira as more of a promotional spectacle than a meaningful contest. He also openly questioned what Gane's championship belt currently represents.
Gane is scheduled to defend his title against Josh Hokit at UFC 334 on Nov. 14. Meanwhile, Pereira, who is 0-1 as a heavyweight, meets Sergei Pavlovich in the UFC 335 co-main on Dec. 12. Kuniev has claimed Volkov fears him and has set his sights on Pereira should he prevail.
Source: MMA Fighting - Sat Oct 24, 8:00 AM ET
Written by the SportsMafia Wire desk in our own words from the original reporting (AI-assisted, checked against the source).