TLDR
- Alexander Volkov accused UFC champion Ciryl Gane of fighting dirty with eye pokes and illegal strikes
- Gane became champion after Tom Aspinall vacated due to eye injuries suffered in their fight
- Volkov criticized Gane for landing illegal strikes to the back of Alex Pereira’s head
- Volkov fights Rizvan Kuniev at UFC 333 next month in a key heavyweight contender bout
- Volkov lost a controversial split decision to Gane two years ago that many felt he won
Sources: sports.yahoo.com | sports.yahoo.com
UFC heavyweight contender Alexander Volkov has launched a sharp criticism of newly crowned champion Ciryl Gane, calling him a dirty fighter who breaks the rules. Volkov made his comments during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show this week.
Gane became the UFC heavyweight champion after former titleholder Tom Aspinall was forced to vacate the belt due to eye injuries. Aspinall suffered the injury during his fight with Gane at UFC 321 last year.
Volkov Details Gane’s Rule Breaking
Volkov pointed to multiple instances where he believes Gane fought outside the rules. He referenced Gane’s fight with former champion Jon Jones, where Volkov claims Gane gave up mentally before the fight even started.
Alexander Volkov names Francis Ngannou as the best heavyweight in the world and calls Tom Aspinall a “true champion”:
“I think Francis Ngannou is still unbeatable. I know he’s a hard person to deal with, but this guy is still unbeatable. Francis Ngannou is one of the best.
Tom… pic.twitter.com/ThyJTSwqRY
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 23, 2026
“He does dirty things,” Volkov said. “He puts his finger in an opponent’s eye and then says, ‘This guy is mentally fragile because I poked him and he doesn’t want to fight.'”
Volkov accused Gane of cheating rather than winning fairly. He said Gane cannot claim mental dominance over opponents when he causes injuries through illegal moves.
“You cheated. That’s not within the rules,” Volkov stated. “If he didn’t do this, if he just punched him hard or did something legal, then he could say that.”
The Russian fighter also criticized how Gane became champion. Gane was elevated from interim champion to undisputed champion despite being the one who caused Aspinall’s eye injury that required surgery.
Volkov also pointed to Gane’s interim title fight against Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250. In that bout, Gane landed several strikes to the back of Pereira’s head before finishing the fight, which are illegal strikes under UFC rules.
“Then in another fight with Pereira, he started punching the back of the head,” Volkov said. “I can’t say he does it on purpose, but he keeps doing it.”
Volkov Criticizes Hokit Title Shot
Volkov also spoke sarcastically about Josh Hokit receiving a title shot against Gane. The fight is scheduled for UFC 334 in November at Madison Square Garden in New York.
Volkov returns to action next month at UFC 333 against Rizvan Kuniev. The fight is considered crucial for both heavyweight contenders looking to move up in the division rankings.
If Volkov wins his upcoming fight, he will be in position to challenge for the title. A potential matchup would come against the winner of Gane versus Hokit at UFC 334.
Volkov has history with Gane in the octagon. Two years ago, the two fighters met in a close contest that ended in a split decision victory for Gane.
Many fans and media members believed Volkov deserved to win that fight. The controversial decision has added fuel to the rivalry between the two heavyweights.
Volkov is currently ranked among the top contenders in the heavyweight division. A win over Kuniev at UFC 333 would strengthen his case for another shot at the title.
The heavyweight division has been in flux since Aspinall was forced to vacate the championship. Gane now holds the belt as the undisputed champion after previously holding interim status.
