Alexander Volkov won by unanimous decision against Valdo Cortes-Acosta with scores of 30-27, 29-28, and 29-28. The New Jersey crowd booed the result, apparently favoring Acosta who repeatedly gestured for Volkov to stand and fight in the center. The author felt Volkov clearly won the first two rounds but expected a more dominant performance, similar to his victory over Sergey Pavlovich two years ago. During his octagon interview, Volkov entered with a Russian flag and told the booing crowd it was an honor to fight on May 9th. He called for a title shot against Aspinall, Gane, or Pereira.
