Alexander Volkov Calls "Bullsh*t" on Ciryl Gane’s Title Defense, Demands Immediate Rematch
Alexander Volkov was left frustrated after watching Ciryl Gane defend his belt against Josh Hokit at UFC 334 and is demanding a rematch.
Alexander Volkov is tired of waiting in line, and after watching Saturday night's heavyweight main event at Madison Square Garden, the Russian contender has had enough.
Moments after UFC Heavyweight Champion Ciryl Gane retained his belt with a grueling unanimous decision over Josh Hokit at UFC 334, Volkov took to social media to blast the outcome and demand a trilogy bout.
"Bullsh*t!" Volkov said. "Give me Gane again. I'll beat him, win my belt back and prove I'm the true champion."
For UFC fighters and fans alike, this was the first time seeing Gane look so vulnerable since his first-round submission loss to Jon Jones at UFC 285 in 2023. Gane, who improved to 15-2 with one no-contest, needed every bit of his 69 percent striking accuracy, landing 237 of 343 significant strikes, to survive Hokit's relentless pressure and three takedowns, scraping by with 48-47 scores across all three judges' cards. He etched out a controversial unanimous decision yet again, and Volkov is hell-bent on setting his record straight.
Unfinished Business at Heavyweight
Volkov has plenty of reasons to feel slighted by the promotion's recent matchmaking. While Hokit leapfrogged the division following a knockout of Derrick Lewis in June, Volkov has been quietly cleaning out the top contenders.
The 38-year-old veteran holds a 41-11 professional record and has won seven of his last eight outings, including a clean unanimous decision over Rizvan Kuniev in October. The lone blemish during that dominant stretch was a razor-thin split decision loss to Gane at UFC 310 in December 2024, a fight many observers believed Volkov won, and one Gane himself recently admitted was "borderline controversial, practically a draw".
Even the champion acknowledged ahead of UFC 334 that Volkov had earned the next crack at gold. Now that Gane has survived his toughest test in years, there are no more detours left. Gane already holds two decision victories over Volkov from 2021 to 2024, meaning the stakes for a third meeting couldn't be higher. If Volkov gets his wish, he won't just be fighting for UFC gold, he'll be fighting to finally erase the most frustrating rivalry of his career.
