Alexander Volkov is holding out for something better after being linked with the #6-ranked contender in the division.
With Joe Rogan recently expressing concerns over the depth of the heavyweight division, there aren’t a whole host of options for the top contenders.
The weight class still holds what would likely be the biggest fight of the year with Jon Jones vs Tom Aspinall being a constant talking point.
Though the likes of Derrick Lewis have recently been booked, only three of the division’s top 11 names are currently matched up.
With that in mind, ‘Drago’ is hoping that patience will pay off for him at this time following reports that he was being targeted for a fight with Jailton Almeida.
Alexander Volkov says he doesn’t plan on fighting Jailton Almeida because he doesn’t see the point
On paper, Alexander Volkov vs Jailton Almeida is a heavyweight clash that makes a fair bit of sense right now.
The Russian is coming off of a close defeat to Ciryl Gane at UFC 310 that ended his four-fight win streak that put him right back into the title picture.
Almeida, on the other hand, stopped the #7-ranked contender Serghei Spivac at UFC 311 to produce back-to-back wins following his first loss inside the Octagon.
The point that is worth remembering for added context is that many believed that Volkov deserved to get his hand raised against Gane last December, including Dana White.
Therefore you’d expect that something big will be lined up for the Russian even after he suffered a loss and clearly, that’s what he was awaiting as he addressed the rumors of him facing Almeida in a recent video.
“Anyways, there was a fight announced about my fight with Almeida which, it wasn’t officially announced, but there were rumors that the fight was in the works. So far, I don’t plan to fight Almeida in July yet, just so you know.
“Why? Because I don’t see any point in fighting the 6th ranked fighter. Whoever sees the point, tell me why. It’s only a fight for the sake of a fight. Let’s wait for a more interesting offer.”
What else could be next for Alexander Volkov?
It has been difficult for new contenders to break into the top 10 of the heavyweight division for some time meaning that we’ve already seen many of the contenders face each other.
This is true for Alexander Volkov who has already faced the likes of Gane, Sergei Pavlovich, Tai Tuivasa, Curtis Blaydes and Marcin Tybura.
Given that Volkov isn’t too interested in fighting Almeida, with a Gane or Pavlovich rematch seemingly unlikely at this time, running it back with Blaydes once he makes his delayed return might be the only viable option.
Almeida might not be a fight that ‘Drago’ wants to take but it may be his only choice if he wants to fight again in the next few months.
