A potential title eliminator in the heavyweight division between [autotag]Ciryl Gane[/autotag] and [autotag]Alexander Volkov[/autotag] is on tap for June.
Gane (8-0 MMA, 5-0 UFC) and Volkov (33-8 MMA, 7-2 UFC) have agreed to clash in an upcoming UFC Fight Night headliner, MMA Junkie verified with multiple people close to the situation. The people asked to remain anonymous since the UFC has not made a formal announcement. The news first was reported by UFC broadcaster partner ESPN. Contracts have yet to be signed.
UFC Fight Night on June 26 does not have an announced venue or location. Broadcast plans have not been revealed.
Gane, No. 6 in the latest USA TODAY Sports/MMA Junkie heavyweight rankings, will attempt to make it back-to-back main event wins after he outworked Jairzinho Rozenstruik to a unanimous decision in his first five-round fight in February. The unbeaten Frenchman has made a strong showing for himself thus far, winning UFC fights by knockout and submission.
He’ll have to topple No. 5-ranked Volkov is he wants to take the next step, though, and the Russian has looked strong of late in his own right. “Drago” has won three of his past four, and is coming off a main event TKO win against Alistair Overeem in February.
With the addition, the UFC’s June 26 lineup now includes
- Ciryl Gane vs. Alexander Volkov
- Maxim Grishin vs. Ovince Saint Preux
- Anthony Hernandez vs. Punahele Soriano
- Tim Elliott vs. Su Mudaerji
- Michel Prazeres vs. Shavkat Rakhmonov
- Justin Jaynes vs. Charles Rosa
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