Alexander Volkov says Ciryl Gane is the safer pick over Alex Pereira in the interim heavyweight title fight, and he tied that view to his own place in the division. The heavyweight contender said he understands where he stands right now, with UFC 328 in Newark, New Jersey, offering another chance to push toward a belt.
Volkov Sees Gane’s Footwork
“Honestly, Ciryl is more favorite right now,” Volkov said at UFC 328 media day. “He has really great footwork.”
That reads as more than a simple pick. Volkov has already fought Gane, and he framed the matchup around movement, pressure, and the kind of counter game Pereira usually needs to set up.
“I respect Alex Pereira and his power, but I don’t know how he will show up in the heavyweight division,” he said. “And I don’t know how he will do with Ciryl Gane’s style in the Pctagon because Pereira needs to pressure the guy and work on counterattacks, and Ciryl Gane don’t give him the opportunity.”
Pereira’s Heavyweight Questions
Volkov’s read on the fight centered on whether Pereira can force the pace without getting dragged into a long, awkward rhythm. “He just punches and kicks and moves a lot,” Volkov said of Gane. “It’s a hard thing for Alex Pereira to solve in the fight.”
He pushed the point further. “I’m not sure he can do this,” Volkov said. That uncertainty is the clearest part of his prediction: not a dismissal of Pereira’s power, but doubt that power alone can solve the matchup if Gane keeps moving and denies clean counter chances.
The betting line reflected how tight the fight is expected to be. Pereira opened as a slight -115 favorite, while Gane sat at -105. Volkov still leaned to Gane, which puts his view against the market and against the assumption that Pereira’s power translates cleanly to heavyweight.
Volkov’s Belt Path
The prediction also sits inside Volkov’s own title picture. He said, “I understand my position right now in the division,” then added, “Maybe I need to show better performances, better show to fight for the belt, so I will just try to do this.”
That is why UFC 328 matters on two fronts for him. He is set to take on Waldo Cortes-Acosta on the main card in Newark, and he is coming off a split decision win over Jailton Almeida after previously losing a split decision to Gane. Before that loss, he had been on a four-fight winning streak.
Volkov’s read on Gane-Pereira is not just a pick for the interim heavyweight title fight. It is also a map of where he sees himself next: still inside the title picture, still needing another sharp performance, and still measuring every contender against the fighter who already beat him.
