UFC heavyweight contender Alexander Volkov blasted newly-minted UFC heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane, calling him “dirty.”
Gane became the new UFC heavyweight champ after former champ Tom Aspinall was forced to vacate his title due to eye injuries he suffered in his fight against Gane last year at UFC 321.
It’s ironic, then, that Gane is now the champion, as he was elevated from the interim champ to undisputed champ despite the fact that he was the one who caused Aspinall’s injury.
Additionally, he won the interim belt against Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 in a fight where he landed several strikes to the back of his opponent’s head before the finish.
Alexander Volkov Criticizes Ciryl Gane
Speaking on “The Ariel Helwani Show,” Volkov criticized Gane for doing “dirty things” in his fights.
“I can say the same about Gane, honestly. Watch his fight with Jon Jones. He just gave up before the fight. He does dirty things. 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.’ You cheated. That’s not within the rules. If he didn’t do this, if he just punched him hard or did something legal, then he could say that. But he created a situation where the champion needed surgery and now can’t fight. Then in another fight with Pereira, he started punching the back of the head. I can’t say he does it on purpose, but he keeps doing it,” Volkov said.
“I can say the same about Gane, honestly. Watch his fight with Jon Jones. He just gave up before the fight.
He does dirty things. He puts his finger in an opponent’s eye and then says, ‘This guy is
Alexander Volkov Still a Top Heavyweight Contender
Volkov returns to the Octagon next month at UFC 333 when he takes on Rizvan Kuniev in a pivotal heavyweight battle between two of the division’s top contenders.
Should Volkov win that fight, he’ll be right back in the mix at heavyweight for the title against the winner of Gane vs. Josh Hokit, which takes place at UFC 334 in November at Madison Square Garden.
Remember, it was two years ago that Volkov lost a narrow split decision to Gane in a fight that many fans and media felt he should have won.
Alexander Volkov Blasts ‘Dirty’ Ciryl Gane