“Drago” has at least one important figure in his corner.
No. 2-ranked Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Heavyweight Alexander Volkov continued his march toward a long-awaited title shot by defeating Rizvan Kuniev via unanimous decision at UFC 333 this past weekend (Sat., Oct. 24, 2026) inside Etihad Arena on “Fight Island” in Abu Dhabi, UAE.
Unfortunately, Volkov is trapped in Heavyweight no-man’s-land.
The 38-year-old has done more than enough to challenge for the title, but several moving pieces
could once again leave him on the outside looking in. If former champion Tom Aspinall returns soon, he will almost certainly be placed ahead of Volkov. And if Heavyweight newcomer Alex Pereira knocks out Sergei Pavlovich at UFC 335, “Poatan” could use his star power to leapfrog the Russian contender.
Nevertheless, Volkov has a major endorsement from retired former Heavyweight champion Stipe Miocic, who believes “Drago” has everything necessary to capture UFC gold if he finally receives the opportunity.
“Volkov has fought everyone. He’s super tough,” Miocic told casino.org/canada recently. “I’ve always watched him and I’ve always rooted for him. I’m glad I never fought him, but I think if he gets the opportunity to become champion, he’ll get it done.”
“I think he’s quick and it’s not like he goes into fights and gets smoked,” Miocic continued. “I think he just does it his own way, and I think he’s right there.”
Miocic is not wrong.
Volkov has spent most of his nine-year UFC career hovering around the top of the Heavyweight division, but the timing has never quite worked in his favor. His first major opportunity slipped away when he lost a decision to Ciryl Gane in 2021. Had Volkov won, he could have been the fighter selected to face Derrick Lewis for the interim Heavyweight title after Francis Ngannou knocked out Miocic.
Years later, Volkov came painfully close again, losing a highly controversial decision to Gane at UFC 310.
Since then, “Drago” has rattled off three consecutive victories and is now 7-1 across his last eight appearances, with that disputed Gane decision serving as his only official loss during that stretch.
At 38 years old, Volkov cannot afford to wait forever. But after nearly a decade of fighting everyone UFC has placed in front of him, Miocic believes one title opportunity may be all the Russian needs.
For complete UFC 333 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.
