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Dec 21, 2019; Busan, SOUTH KOREA; Ciryl Gane (red gloves) fights Tanner Boser (blue gloves) during UFC Fight Night at Sajik Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jasmin Frank-USA TODAY Sports
UFC Vegas 30’s heavyweight headliner between Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov was major matchup in the top five of the division. It had legitimate title implications if the winner scored an impressive W. That did not happen tonight.
From the jump, the Frenchman had an unsurprising speed advantage on his taller opponent. However, both men fought cautiously early and looked to find their range. Each wanted to fight a long-style but went about it in different ways. Gane used his footwork to move in and out and worked off his jab. Volkov used his natural gifts, like his legs, to kick and keep his opponent at a distance. Both men used kicks heavily early, but Gane was the man who landed more strikes of substance up top.
Ciryl Gane beats Alexander Volkov in quiet UFC Vegas 30 headliner
By the third round, “Bon Gamin’s” jab was finding a home with regularity. The unbeaten talent attacked with a measured apporach and chose not to take many risks to do even more damage. He used his footwork and speed to keep Volkov off balance. The Russian, even with his size and length, had trouble landing clean shots on his opponent.
“Drago” entered the fourth with a bloodied nose that may have been broken in the third, and moving much slower. Despite that, the 32-year-old had some moments in the round as he tried to counter his foes work rate and jab. However, the activity of Gane and his ability to land more clean shots was the biggest story over the first four rounds.
Before the fifth, Volkov’s corner told him if he won the round he would win the fight. Yet, like every other round, the big man is just not able to match the output of Gane and keep pace in a points-scoring fight that better suited Gane. Overall, it was an uneventful battle of heavyweights in the top five. A quiet bout that Gane won easily on all three judges cards.
The winner of this fight is certainly a contender to UFC heavyweight champion Francis Ngannou. However, an impressive win could have helped that man jump Stipe Miocic and Derrick Lewis into an immediate title fight. Gane likely did not get a line-leaping victory tonight.
The Frenchman moves to 9-0, with six of those victories inside the Octagon. The loss ends a two-fight win streak for the Russian as he falls to 7-3 in the UFC.
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