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Alexander Volkov has been knocking on the door of the UFC heavyweight title for what feels like an eternity. On Saturday night in Abu Dhabi, at UFC 321: Aspinall vs. Gane, the 36-year-old Russian will attempt to kick that door down once and for all when he faces Jailton Almeida – a bout widely considered a title eliminator in a division suddenly alive with possibility. With a record of 38–11, Volkov has long been one of the most technically refined strikers in the heavyweight ranks. But refinement alone hasn’t always been enough. Close losses, controversial decisions have kept him tantalisingly close to UFC gold without ever quite reaching it. Now, with Jon Jones’ retirement announcement (before backtracking) opening the path and Tom Aspinall holding the undisputed belt, Volkov senses his moment. “It’s so close, every time,” Volkov tells News18 Sports in an exclusive conversation ahead of his fight with Almeida. “I just feel it. And I want to touch it one day. I’m really looking for this UFC belt. I want to collect it as one more world champion belt in my collection. I’m 100% sure this is the best goal in the MMA world. I will try to get it. I want it, and I’m motivated to go forward.” The Almeida Grappling Challenge That hunger – tempered by experience, sharpened by setbacks – defines Volkov’s approach to this critical matchup. If Volkov’s path to the title has been blocked by anything, it’s been his vulnerability to elite grapplers. Now he faces the Brazilian submission specialist nicknamed ‘Malhadinho’ who has a relentless wrestling attack and one of the highest takedown rates in the division. Almeida’s game plan is no secret: drag opponents to the mat, suffocate them with top control, and hunt for the finish. Statistically, he’s a nightmare – averaging 6.85 takedowns per 15 minutes and 2.6 submission attempts in the same span. Alexander Volkov, Ciryl Gane. Volkov, however, is unbothered. “We can assess from his fights – he doesn’t like the standup game and mostly just goes to the ground,” Volkov says. “That’s understandable. But the way he does it is predictable, I think. It’s not that he’s bad technically – his takedowns and his ground game are good. But for me, it’s predictable. We watched his fights a lot. We watched what he can do on the ground. I’ll be ready for that, I hope.” To prepare, Volkov spent extended time at his camp with some of the best grapplers. “All my camp was focused on grappling and wrestling,” he explains. “Of course, I still did a lot of striking work and MMA work as well, but this camp was heavily grappling-focused. A lot of good wrestlers in my team worked with me and helped me – they were great sparring partners. They have some of the best grapplers in the area. We did a great job.” Moving Past UFC 310: “I Just Accepted It” However, the shadow of UFC 310 still lingers. Last December, Volkov faced Ciryl Gane – who will be vying for the title against Aspinall in the main event – in a rematch many believed he won convincingly. Yet the judges saw it differently, awarding Gane a split decision that sparked widespread outrage among fans and media alike. 19 of 20 media members scored the fight for Volkov. But if Volkov harbors bitterness, he doesn’t show it. “It doesn’t affect me very much,” he says when asked about the controversial loss. “I accepted it, that’s it. I just accepted it and started doing my job for the next fight. There was a lot of debate, and in my opinion, I won the fight. But there’s nothing we can change right now. I’m just fighting next and showing my best.” It’s a pragmatic response, consistent with Volkov’s reputation for quiet discipline.”I’m really proud of myself,” Volkov says, reflecting on his longevity. “I was always top ten for maybe more than 13 or 14 years, maybe even 15 years. Very long. And I’m still here, still showing progress, still competing with the best.” The Monk and the Fighter: Discipline as a Weapon Volkov’s coach, Taras Kiyashko, had described him as almost monk-like in his training discipline. It’s a characterisation Volkov finds amusing but doesn’t entirely reject. “Like a monk? No, I don’t think so,” he laughs. “Yeah, I’m very disciplined. I understand what I put on the line in a fight, in my camp. I try to be fully disciplined with everything – I try to sleep well, on time, eat the right food. I don’t miss any practice. I concentrate mostly on the practice. That’s what it is. But I don’t think it’s monk-like. It’s more the way every professional fighter should follow, in my opinion.” Still, there’s an undeniable asceticism to Volkov’s approach. He avoids distractions, ignores external noise – even public endorsements from fighters like Aspinall, who recently predicted Volkov would beat Almeida, don’t register. “I don’t care what Tom Aspinall said – but in a good way,” Volkov clarifies. “I thank him anyway because he respects my power and my skills. But it doesn’t matter what Tom or anybody else thinks about this fight. Everything depends on what happens in the cage.” This focus has been Volkov’s greatest asset. In a sport where careers are often derailed by ego, injury, or inconsistency, he’s remained a fixture at the top through sheer force of routine. “That’s why I can be on top for so long,” he says. “I try to be very disciplined, do everything smart.” A Dream Deferred, But Not Denied While discipline has been central to Volkov’s success for this long, his believes that each fight is an opportunity to evolve. He describes his bouts as ‘experiments’ – chances to test new skills, refine old ones, and collect experience like currency. “From a young age, I believed that a professional fighter grows from fight to fight,” Volkov explains. “In any competition, I tried to find new things to do and grow. It’s the same in professional fights. Every fight for me is like a new experience – something new I can put in my baggage and use next time. In this way, I feel good fighting Almeida as well, because with this fighter, I can make my ground game much better than it was.” It’s a mindset that has sustained him through the highs and lows – the knockout of Fabricio Werdum, the heartbreak against Derrick Lewis, the controversial decision against Gane. And now, at 36, with his window narrowing, Volkov remains as motivated as ever. “Maybe I just like to smash people – that’s it,” he says with a grin when asked about his drive. “I like the sport. I like the work in the sport. I like getting better, learning things, competing. I like to be on top. I like the attention from people, from all the fans. I like this game. I like being in the UFC, in the sport.” One More Step Jon Jones’s retirement and the eventual u-turn has reshuffled the heavyweight deck. Tom Aspinall now holds the belt and will defend it against Gane in Saturday’s main event. For Volkov, Jones’s absence is neither good nor bad – just another variable in a chaotic division. “I think him leaving our division makes it a little bit better for other fighters to have a title shot chance,” Volkov says. “But it could be good in both ways for the UFC. I can’t say for sure. I don’t think about this a lot, honestly. If he’ll fight, he’ll fight. If not, not. For me, it’s not something I worry about.” For a fighter who has spent so long on the periphery of greatness, the finish line has never been closer. Whether Volkov crosses it depends on one more night, one more fight, but being at the top for this long is something Volkov is proud about. “Looking at my career now – I started fighting in the US with Bellator, then M-1, then the UFC – I was a top-ranked fighter in all of them. I was always top ten for maybe more than 13 or 14 years, maybe even 15 years. Very long. And I’m still here, still showing progress, still competing with the best. That’s a big deal,” says Volkov. Watch UFC 321 – Aspinall vs. Gane on 25th October 2025 from 11:30 PM IST live on Sony Sports Ten 1 SD & HD, Sony Sports Ten 3 SD & HD (Hindi), Sony Sports Ten 4 SD (Tamil & Telugu)
