Alexander Volkov loses another clear path to the UFC heavyweight crown, after the promotion announced Ciryl Gane will defend against Josh Hokit in the UFC 334 main event at Madison Square Garden this November. The booking leaves Volkov watching the next title fight from the sidelines despite his role in the division's most controversial decision last year.
Volkov is the standout contender immediately below Tom Aspinall in the Meta UFC heavyweight rankings, but the Russian was not tapped to challenge Gane after the Frenchman was elevated to undisputed champion. That elevation followed a sequence of high-profile meetings: Gane defeated Volkov at UFC 310 in December 2024 in a result many fans disputed, Gane then received a title shot against Aspinall in 2025, and later won the interim belt by beating Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250 in June. With Aspinall out of action, the promotion installed Gane as undisputed champion.
Public frustration over that chain of events has clustered around Volkov. He reacted to the UFC's UFC 334 announcement by posting five laughing emojis under the promotion's social post. The reply drew wide support from followers, with comments including "What a joke man.", "You deserve better.", and "You need to whoop Dana." Those reactions underline the gap between how some fans and fighters view the divisional pecking order and how the promotion has booked title fights.
Instead of facing Gane, Volkov will return to the Octagon at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi, meeting Rizvan Kuniev. That bout is scheduled a few weeks before Gane's defence at Madison Square Garden, which means Volkov will have to win and wait for a title window to re-open. The booking keeps Gane on a run of three consecutive title appearances since the disputed UFC 310 verdict, and it preserves the promotional momentum that has carried the Frenchman to the undisputed belt.
The immediate consequence is procedural: Volkov must use his next fight to reassert himself and hope the promotion reshuffles the heavyweight picture. For now the division's path to a clear rematch remains controlled by the UFC's matchmaking choices rather than the ranking most fans point to.
