Ciryl Gane Cruises Past Alexander Volkov in UFC Fight Night 190 Headliner

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Ciryl Gane is shaping up to be a difficult puzzle to solve at heavyweight.

The Frenchman won his second consecutive five-round verdict in the Octagon, taking a unanimous decision over former Bellator MMA and M-1 Global champion Alexander Volkov in the UFC Fight Night 190 main event at the UFC Apex in Las Vegas on Saturday. Gane received scorecards of 50-45, 50-45 and 49-46 from the cageside judges, ending Volkov’s two-bout winning streak. The victory comes on the heels of a 25-minute triumph over Jairzinho Rozenstruik this past February, proving that the MMA Factory member is the rare big man capable of consistently swimming in deep waters.

“Volkov is one of the best in the division, so I’m really happy,” Gane said.

Volkov (33-9, 7-3 UFC) simply had no answers for his opponent’s superior speed and output. Gane (9-0, 6-0 UFC) was able to fight at his preferred range, and he repeatedly tagged the Russian with a crisp jab and straight left, gradually upping his volume and intensity as the bout progressed. Over time, blood began to trickle from Volkov’s nose as he absorbed more damage from his opponent. Volkov’s primary response was to attack with kicks to the legs and body, but it did little to hinder “Bon Gamin,” who often responded with his own toolbox of kicks.

In the aftermath of his latest triumph, Gane indicated that wants a crack at the top of the division.

“I’m ready,” Gane said. “I like the challenge.”

Boser Spoils St. Preux’s Second Heavyweight Outing

Tanner Boser snapped a two-bout skid with a knockout victory over former University of Tennessee football player Ovince St. Preux in a heavyweight tilt. The 29-year-old Canadian ended the bout with a knee and a clubbing right hand at the 2:31 mark of Round 2. A longtime UFC competitor at 205 pounds, St. Preux fell to 0-2 as a heavyweight.

Boser (20-8-1, 4-3 UFC put a rapid pace on St. Preux (25-16, 13-11 UFC) in Round 1, attacking his foe with kicks to the legs and body and punching combinations upstairs. St. Pruex, meanwhile, offered virtually no output in a lackluster opening frame. “OSP” shifted gears in the second stanza, when he took Boser down near the fence and landed in side control. “The Bulldozer” was able to return to his feet and then sprawled on a shot, creating an opening for a knee that hurt St. Preux. An ensuing right hand sent the Knoxville MMA product tumbling to the canvas, essentially ending the bout.

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Valiev Edges Barcelos Via Majority Decision

Timur Valiev had just enough volume and activity to get the better of Raoni Barcelos in a matchup of bantamweight prospects, winning a closely-contested affair via majority decision. Judges Ron McCarthy and Rick Winter submitted 29-28 scorecards for Valiev, while Michael Bell saw it 28-28, bringing an end to Barcelos’ nine-bout professional winning streak.

Valiev kept his foe off balance with movement and superior volume in the first and third rounds, consistently finding a home for his right hand while avoiding the majority of Barcelos’ offerings. While Barcelos (16-2, 5-1 UFC) generally led the dance, his inability to pull the trigger would ultimately come back to haunt him.

Barcelos authored the most emphatic sequence of the fight in Round 2, when he sat Valiev down with a counter left hook. The Brazilian then doggedly pursued the finish, flooring Valiev (18-2, 1 NC, 2-0, 1 NC UFC) again with an uppercut when the Dagestani attempted to return to his feet. Barcelos continued to unload with ground-and-pound in hopes of the stoppage but tired himself out before the end of the frame, allowing Valiev to survive until the horn. Ultimately, that effort yielded only a single 10-8 scorecard.

Fili vs. Pineda Ends in No Contest Due to Eye Poke

An accidental eye poke by Andre Fili brought a premature ending to what was shaping up as a showcase performance from the Team Alpha Male stalwart. The inadvertent foul left Daniel Pineda unable to continue 46 seconds into Round 2, resulting in the featherweight bout being ruled a no contest.

Fili (21-8, 1 NC, 9-7, 1 NC UFC) unleashed the kitchen sink on Pineda (27-14, 3 NC< 4-5, 1 NC UFC) in Round 1. Fili wobbled Pineda with a right hand, rocked him with a pair of head kicks and made him double over with a kick to the liver. Despite absorbing multiple shots that might have felled a lesser fighter, Pineda made it to the end of the frame. “The Pit” couldn’t survive the ensuing foul, however, and a cageside doctor waved off the bout when Pineda was unable to open his left eye during an examination. Pineda protested the ruling vehemently, but it was to no avail.

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Means Earns Decision Against Dalby

Tim Means won his third straight Octagon appearance, taking a three-round verdict over former Cage Warriors champion Nicolas Dalby in a welterweight bout. “The Dirty Bird” earned a trio of 29-28 scorecards from the judges to snap his opponent’s seven-bout unbeaten streak.

The combatants brawled willingly in spurts, but the Fit-NHB representative kept Dalby off balance thanks to occasional takedowns and clinch work to complement his arsenal of body strikes, knees and elbows on the feet. Dalby (19-4-1, 2 NC, 3-3-1, 1 NC UFC) was game throughout and had a chance to turn the tide when he buckled Means (32-12-1, 1 NC, 14-9, 1 NC UFC) with a right hand early in Round 3. A resourceful Means was able to keep his wits and neutralized his opponent in the clinch for much of the period to avoid further danger.

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‘Moicano’ Breaks Down Herbert

Former featherweight contender Renato Carneiro put on a grappling clinic en route to a submission victory over ex-Cage Warriors ruler Jai Herbert in a 155-pound clash. “Moicano” forced Herbert to ask out of the contest with a rear-naked choke at the 4:34 mark of Round 2 to improve to 2-1 at lightweight.

Other than a few fleeting moments on the feet for Herbert, Carneiro was in complete control. The 32-year-old Brazilian secured multiple takedowns, transitioned from one dominant position to another and punished his adversary with timely punches and elbows from above. Carneiro (15-4-1, 7-4 UFC) picked up the intensity of his ground-and-pound during the finishing sequence, which created an opening to slide his arm under Herbert’s (10-3, 0-2 UFC) chin for the fight-ending submission. Carneiro now owns eight career triumphs by way of rear-naked choke.

Continue Reading » UFC Fight Night 190 Prelims: Rakhmonov Remains Undefeated, Overwhelms Prazeres