UFC Vegas 30: Ciryl Gane vs Alexander Volkov Preview

UFC Vegas 30 will take place at the UFC APEX in Las Vegas as heavyweight standouts Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov face each other in a potential title eliminator

The card also features another high-octane heavyweight contest between Tanner Boser and Ovince St. Preux. Elsewhere on the card, Raoni Barcelos takes on Timur Valiev in a bantamweight contest, Andre Fili fights Daniel Pineda in a featherweight bout and Tim Means locks horns with Nicolas Dalby in a welterweight contest.

Ciryl Gane vs Alexander Volkov

Heavyweight fights are normally heavy-handed slugfests, which keep the fans on the edge of their seats. Gane vs Volkov is different in the sense that it is a rare heavyweight contest between two highly technical strikers.

Gane does an excellent job of using his movement and angles to frustrate his opponents in the stand-up. He’s also too fast and explosive for a heavyweight, and is exceptional on the mat. Volkov is a skyscraper, with long legs and uses his reach advantage to keep his opponents at bay.

However, ‘Drago’ is much slower than Gane in terms of movement and explosiveness. The Russian did show holes in his grappling game against Curtis Blaydes, but Gane isn’t on the same level as Blaydes in the grappling department, until proven otherwise.

All in all, Gane vs Volkov is an exceptional fight between a highly-rated prospect and an MMA veteran.

https://twitter.com/ufc/status/1406718750141779970

Tanner Boser vs Ovince St. Preux

Tanner Boser and Ovince St. Preux is another intriguing matchup between two heavyweights. The Canadian has a ‘kill or be killed attitude’ and he lunges forward at his opponents with mean intentions. He adopts a very aggressive karate fighting style, which could cause problems for Ovince St. Preux.

OSP is more composed of the two fighters and usually fights on the outside, waiting for the right opportunity to land his big counter shots. While Boser is a dangerous fighter, he also leaves himself open to counter shots, which St-Preux will try and take advantage of at UFC Vegas 30. This fight is literally a coin toss.

The T I M I N G ⏱ @003_OSP

[ #UFCVegas30 | Sat. June 26 | Main Card 4pmET | @ESPNPlus ] pic.twitter.com/ytEyKBNpKm

— UFC (@ufc) June 22, 2021

Raoni Barcelos vs Timur Valiev

Raoni Barcelos vs Timur Valiev is a fight between two extremely talented bantamweight contenders, who should be in the title picture very soon.

Barcelos is a very well-rounded fighter. Not only does he have excellent boxing and great kicks, but he also has solid grappling credentials. On the other hand, Valiev is a Sambo master, who loves to take the fight to the ground.

He would also try to take Barcelos down to neutralize his threat on the feet. However, the BJJ blackbelt has a serious submission threat and should cause problems to the Dagestani.

Andre Fili vs Daniel Pineda

Although Fili vs Pineda is a late addition to the UFC Vegas 30 card, it is an excellent one. Pineda is a very well-rounded fighter, who’s good everywhere. He’s got good striking, good grappling, and with over 40 fights under his belt, he has a lot of experience as well.

However, Fili does have the advantage on the feet, and a good enough takedown defense to avoid grappling exchanges, and keep the fight where he’s most comfortable. Pineda has good striking as well, but he’ll have a hard time keeping up with Fili and should look to take the fight to the ground.

Tim Means vs Nicolas Dalby

Tim Means vs Nicolas Dalby is a great short notice fight. While they’re very much the same age, Tim Means has a lot more experience than Nicolas Dalby. Means is 5-5 in his last ten fights, while Dalby hasn’t lost in his last seven fights, and is looking better than ever. Means is a well-rounded fighter, but his Danish counterpart does everything better and should cause a lot of problems for the American.

‘The Dirty Bird’ has a lot more UFC fights, however, and can use his experience to his advantage.

https://twitter.com/BigMarcel24/status/1407134433396789255

What are your predictions for UFC Vegas 30, headlined by Ciryl Gane and Alexander Volkov?