Alexander Volkov won by unanimous decision against Waldo Cortes-Acosta with scores of 30-27, 29-28, 29-28. The crowd in New Jersey booed the decision, apparently favoring Acosta's aggressive center-cage callouts. The analyst believed Volkov won the first two rounds but expected a more dominant performance, similar to his victory over Sergei Pavlovich two years ago. Volkov entered the octagon interview with a Russian flag and told the booing crowd it was an honor to fight on May 9th. He called for a title fight, saying he would face Tom Aspinall, Ciryl Gane, or Alex Pereira, stating he doesn't care who the opponent is.
Alexander Volkov earned a unanimous decision victory over Waldo Cortes-Acosta on May 9th in New Jersey, with two judges scoring the fight 29-28 and a third scoring it 30-27, before immediately calling out the heavyweight division's top names in his post-fight interview.
Volkov, known as "Drago," enters the conversation as the top-ranked heavyweight contender. The 37-year-old Russian, who stands six-foot-seven with an 80-inch reach, carries a 40-11-0 record and fights out of Strela Team. He lands 4.78 significant strikes per minute at a 57 percent accuracy rate, relying on his range and technical output rather than explosive finishing power. Walking into the octagon with a Russian flag, Volkov acknowledged the booing crowd and noted the significance of competing on May 9th, a date of historical importance in Russia. He then made clear he is ready for a title fight, naming heavyweight champion Tom Aspinall, second-ranked Ciryl Gane, and light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira as opponents he would willingly face.
Aspinall, the reigning UFC heavyweight champion, holds a 15-3-0 record and ranks sixth pound-for-pound. The 33-year-old Englishman out of Team Kaobon is one of the most statistically dominant heavyweights the division has seen, landing 7.63 significant strikes per minute at 67 percent accuracy while averaging 2.62 takedowns per 15 minutes. At six-foot-five with a 78-inch reach, he presents a different physical puzzle than Volkov.
Gane, ranked second at heavyweight, carries a 14-2-0 record. The 36-year-old Frenchman from MMA Factory stands six-foot-four with an 81-inch reach — the longest of the three — and lands 5.29 significant strikes per minute at 61 percent accuracy.
Why it matters
- Volkov's win cements his position as the number-one heavyweight contender and strengthens his case for a title shot
- The split scoring suggests questions remain about how convincingly Volkov is performing at this stage of his career
- Any matchup with Aspinall would pit the division's two longest and most technically active strikers against each other
