Alexander Volkov wasn’t the only person upset by his controversial split decision loss to Ciryl Gane at UFC 310.
As the Russian heavyweight left the cage in disgust after the two judges gave Gane the fight with a pair of 29-28 scores, he was met by UFC CEO Dana White, who was seemingly just as upset by the result. White told Volkov rather emphatically that he deserved the win, which was loudly echoed by the crowd’s reaction when the decision was announced.
Through a translator, White explained his disdain for the decision with hopes that he could somehow make it up to Volkov in the future.
“You got f*cked,” White said in a video posted by ESPN. “It’s horrible. I don’t know what we’ll do but we’ll try to make it right by you. The whole f*cking arena thought you won the fight. They f*cked that one up bad. I’ll talk to you in a little while. I apologize.”
A dejected Volkov was stunned after he appeared to do enough to secure the victory with a strong second round and then closing the fight on top of Gane after the former interim heavyweight champion spent a huge part of the final five minutes holding on for a potential kimura submission that never materialized.
Even Gane was surprised by the decision because he immediately left the octagon but then returned for his post-fight interview with UFC color commentator Joe Rogan.
Following his conversation with White outside the cage, Volkov then spoke to reporters about his anger towards the judges who cost him the fight and potentially a huge opportunity in his next outing because the winner could be in a position to challenge interim heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall in 2025.
“It was a bullshit decision, for sure,” Volkov said. “I don’t know what we’re going to do with the decision, I’m absolutely sure that I won the fight. I did much more than Gane in all the fight.
“I do not know who scored this fight with him, who are the judges, how they decide this… I don’t see any damage from him to me and I don’t understand why he won the fight.”
The split decision ended Volkov’s four-fight win streak, which included victories over Sergei Pavlovich and Tai Tuivasa along the way.
Now Volkov has to wait and see what the UFC does to “make it right” but it remains to be seen if that’s monetary compensation or perhaps still offering him a bigger fight when he returns to action next year.
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