Volkov–Gane Bout Moves From UFC 308 to UFC 310
Alexander Volkov’s injury pulled his rematch with Ciryl Gane from UFC 308, but they fought at UFC 310, where Gane won by split decision.
Why Volkov–Gane was pulled from UFC 308
The two heavyweights were scheduled to meet on the October 26, 2024 card in Abu Dhabi. Volkov withdrew after suffering a knee injury in training, according to contemporaneous reporting. The matchup was an important rematch: Gane had defeated Volkov by unanimous decision in their first meeting in June 2021. UFC 308 still went ahead with Ilia Topuria defending the featherweight title against Max Holloway and Robert Whittaker facing Khamzat Chimaev.
At the time of the withdrawal, the gap left in the main-card lineup prompted speculation about changes to the order. Rather than replace the heavyweight bout with a new opponent, the promotion found a later date for the same pairing. The rescheduling was reported three days later: Volkov and Gane were booked for UFC 310 in Las Vegas on December 7.
How the rematch ended
Gane won the three-round rematch by split decision, with judges scoring it 29–28, 28–29 and 29–28. The close result contrasted with their first contest, which Gane had taken by unanimous decision. Volkov disputed the UFC 310 verdict afterward, but the official result stands as a win for Gane. The UFC’s fighter record lists the decision.
The change was a setback for UFC 308’s advertised heavyweight lineup and for fans who had expected a rematch in Abu Dhabi. In the end, the injury delayed the fight by six weeks; it did not erase it from the schedule. The Oct. 26 event proceeded with its remaining bouts, and Volkov and Gane settled their rivalry later that year in Las Vegas.
The bout also carried a small historical wrinkle: their first fight had been largely controlled by Gane, who mixed range striking with disciplined movement over five rounds. Volkov entered the rematch on a strong run of heavyweight wins and had hoped the second meeting would show how much his game had evolved. Instead, the narrow scorecards made the December contest far more debatable than the 2021 result.
For UFC 308, the withdrawal changed the shape of the card but not its headline title fight or co-main event. For the two heavyweights, the delay created a new date and a fresh three-round test. The final record of the matchup is now clear: Gane holds two decisions over Volkov, the second by split decision at UFC 310.
