Alexander Volkov Says UFC Heavyweight Belt Has Lost Meaning Under Ciryl Gane
Alexander Volkov criticized the UFC heavyweight title picture, arguing that popularity and fouls have diminished the value of holding the belt.
· VILLAND PICK editorial
Heavyweight veteran Alexander Volkov believes the UFC heavyweight championship no longer carries the definitive meaning it once did. Volkov, who has won six of his past seven bouts with his lone setback being a controversial split-decision defeat to current undisputed champion Ciryl Gane, expressed frustration over matchmaking in the division and how title opportunities are granted.
Speaking to MMA Fighting ahead of UFC 333, the former Bellator heavyweight champion weighed in on Gane's reign. Gane received consecutive title fights against Tom Aspinall and Alex Pereira and is currently scheduled to defend his championship against Josh Hokit at UFC 334 on Nov. 14.
Volkov previously labeled the Gane vs. Pereira interim title clash as "more like a promotional or media fight" rather than a "true title fight."
Volkov contrasted today's landscape with historic tournament formats like K-1, where fighting pure skill was paramount over fame. "Maybe it loses the meaning all fans want it to have. Like, we want to trust it’s the most powerful, skilled fighter in the world," Volkov told MMA Fighting. "Now we can get fights, title shots [for] just being more famous, and doesn’t matter how you [became] famous."
Volkov also pointed to fouls committed by Gane, including incidents in the UFC White House match. "If we talk about Gane, he has the belt. We can see he is a champion for having this belt. So the meaning of the belt is like that, a champion who can eye poke somebody in a fight, kick a groin or do something else, and then knock out guys and become a champion," Volkov added.
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