UFC Fight Night 190: Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov Betting Preview, Odds, Prediction

UFC Fight Night 190 features two big guys, Cyril Gane and Alexander Volkov. According to the MMA analysts, the winner of this matchup will earn a chance to meet the heavyweight champion after the Ngannou vs. Lewis fight, which means that the importance of the same is incredible. Both fighters are extremely powerful and have a solid background. Gane is undefeated, while on the other side, Volkov used to be the champion in various other organizations, among them Bellator. This is undoubtedly the most interesting matchup in the heavyweight division after Miocic vs. Ngannou battle, and it is worth checking it out.

Preview

Gane (-145) has been impressive so far. Bon Gamin, as the fans call him, didn’t have many big challenges, but overall, his record (8-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) needs to be respected. There aren’t many fighters who started their UFC adventure with five straight victories.

The French defeated Jairzinho Rozenstruik in the latest bout via unanimous decision. He was patient and composed in that one, trying to stay out of Rozenstruik’s reach and protecting himself from Bigi Boy’s vicious punches. Eventually, that earned him a comfortable victory and a chance to appear in the title eliminator.

Previously, Gane defeated the former UFC heavyweight champion, Junior Dos Santos. He KOd El Cigano in the second round, showing that he knows that as well. When looking at the method of his wins, three each are via KO and submission, while two came following a decision.

Gane is a very versatile fighter whose primary area is Muay Thai. He doesn’t possess some flashy technique, nor is he attractive for watching, but on the other side, he has high intelligence and feeling in the octagon.

Volkov (+125) won the last two battles against the veterans Alistair Overeem and Walt Harris. These two are on the decline in recent times and are no longer the top echelon of the UFC, but still, they present a challenge that isn’t easy to solve.

Both wins were after a KO in the second round, and may we said that Russia was very dominant in both evens. Now, that is something that can’t be said for his match against Curtis Blaydes, against whom he easily won on points. In that one, Volkov couldn’t handle the American’s wrestling, losing his second bout in the UFC.

The first one was against Derrick Lewis. After dominating for all five rounds, Volkov ate one ferocious punch with 10 seconds to go and lost the bout in a pretty odd manner. His other notable victories in the UFC came against Stefan Struve, Fabricio Werdum, and Greg Hardy.

Prediction

We are picking here for the fight to go to the distance. Gane and Volkov are fighters who are cautious when inside the ring, which is why we expect to see a tactical battle without too many attacks and bursts. These two guys know how to behave in such situations, and they already went to the distance a couple of times. On top of everything, the odds for our pick are -115, which is great.

Pick: Fight to go to the distance -115