Volkov Picks Gane Over Pereira at UFC White House — Light Heavyweight Ufc
Alexander Volkov said Ciryl Gane is the favorite to beat Alex Pereira in the interim heavyweight title fight at the White House, putting his own read of the light heavyweight ufc picture on the record. Volkov said Gane’s movement and footwork make Pereira’s move up hard to solve.
Volkov’s read on Gane
“Honestly, Ciryl is more favorite right now,” Volkov said at UFC 328 media day. He pointed to Gane’s footwork and the way he forces opponents to chase, saying, “He has really great footwork.”
Volkov also laid out the problem from Pereira’s side. “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 uphill assignment
Gane, he said, keeps opponents at the end of his offense. “He just punches and kicks and moves a lot,” Volkov said. “It’s a hard thing for Alex Pereira to solve in the fight.” He added, “I’m not sure he can do this.”
The betting line matches that lean only slightly. Pereira is listed as a slight -115 favorite, with Gane at -105, a spread narrow enough to show how close the matchup is even as Volkov picks a side. For the division, the bout sits under an interim heavyweight title banner while Tom Aspinall’s return timing remains uncertain.
Volkov’s own position
Volkov has already felt Gane’s style firsthand. He lost a split decision to Gane at UFC 310, then came back at UFC 321 in October and beat Jailton Almeida by split decision. Before the loss to Gane, he had been on a four-fight winning streak.
Now Volkov is scheduled to face Waldo Cortes-Acosta on the main card of UFC 328. After sizing up the interim title fight, he said, “I understand my position right now in the division.” He added, “Maybe I need to show better performances, better show to fight for the belt, so I will just try to do this,” a clear sign he sees his own route tightening as Gane and Pereira move toward the White House stage.
