Gane Vs. Volkov Betting Odds, Prediction | UFC Betting Sites

UFC Fight Night: Gane v Spivac — Photo by Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight strikers Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov will rematch this weekend (Sat., Dec. 7, 2024) at UFC 310 from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

It’s a testament to the Heavyweight division’s lack of depth that these two are facing off yet again. The two faced off in a five-round fight back in 2021, and Gane pretty thoroughly shut down Volkov the entire time. Back then, Gane was still an unproven up-and-comer. He’s only solidified his position as an elite big man in the three year since their first fight, and the wrestling weaknesses that have been revealed seem unlikely to come into play against a fellow lanky striker. Credit to Volkov, he’s in the midst of an excellent four-fight win streak and deserves a chance to get back into the title mix, but he’s really up against it in this match up.

Let’s take a closer look at the betting odds and strategic keys for each athlete:

Gane vs. Volkov 2 Betting Odds

Ciryl Gane victory: -375
Ciryl Gane via TKO/KO/DQ: +350
Ciryl Gane via submission: +1100
Ciryl Gane via decision: -145
Alexander Volkov victory: +295
Alexander Volkov via TKO/KO/DQ: +1000
Alexander Volkov via submission: +2800
Alexander Volkov via decision: +450
Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

How Gane Wins

Ciryl Gane still has an argument as Heavyweight’s best kickboxer. There’s a reason, after all, that Jon Jones and Francis Ngannou opted to ground the French striker. He’s a crafty and mobile sniper, capable of picking his opponent apart with fast, damaging shots from either stance.

It’s tough to coach Gane too thoroughly for this rematch, seeing as everything he tried in the first fight worked so well. Gane really dominated the fight by winning the distance battle first and foremost. Both of these men are range strikers, so when Gane’s jabs and snappy kicks landed first, it prevented Volkov from every building combinations and momentum alike.

Speed is still the key here. Gane wants to strand Volkov at range once again and keep exchanges short, giving Volkov little confidence and little chance to catch him with a big shot. Once more, Gane’s natural quickness, feints, and fluidity are his clear path to victory.

How Volkov Wins

Volkov has been around the block a time or two. The karate striker debuted way back in 2009, won the Bellator strap three years later, and is still a top-ranked Heavyweight today! Historically a volume kicker, Volkov put on some mass a few years ago and started sitting down more on his punches.

Volkov has to adjust in this fight. His last performance opposite Sergei Pavlovich was a great example of his preferred approach, in which he hung back at range poking at his opponent with kicks and counters. Because of Gane’s speed and own range expertise, he cannot employ that game plan here.

It’s nearly impossible to defeat a faster opponent by being reactive. Fighters try to react, end up failing to pull the trigger when caught off guard, and the snowball starts rolling against them. To avoid that fate and force a different outcome, Volkov has to initiate. He has to come forward harder than last time, firing off powerful kicks and combinations to start exchanges.

It’s scary really attacking a slick counter fighter like Gane, but it gives Volkov a chance. Ideally, the Russian will focus on being first and third, initiating with his own offense, blocking/slipping/absorbing Gane’s return fire, and then concluding the trade with one last combo or kick.

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Gane vs. Volkov 2 Prediction

I like Alexander Volkov. He’s a gritty finisher who seems to consistently put in the work, which is unusual at Heavyweight. He has cool tricks up his sleeves and neat tactics, a more interesting skill set than the typical close-his-eyes-and-swing big man.

It’s a shame this is such a miserable match up for him. Gane can match his size and kickboxing skill, and he’s just on a different level of athlete. It’s not like Volkov is a huge hitter either; he stops opponents via volume, and Gane is very difficult to hit consistently.

It’s hard to visualize much else besides a replay of the first bout.

Prediction: Gane via decision (-145)

Remember that MMAmania.com will deliver LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC 310 fight card right here, starting with the early ESPN+ “Prelims” matches online, which are scheduled to begin at 6 p.m. ET (simulcast on ESPN2 at 8 p.m. ET), before the pay-per-view (PPV) main card start time at 10 p.m. ET (also on ESPN+).

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