Alexander Volkov Faces Crowded Heavyweight Queue Despite Being Ranked No. 1 Contender

Alexander Volkov earned the undisputed No. 1 contender position at UFC 321 but has since seen his path to a title shot complicated by a series of developments, including Tom Aspinall's timeline, Alex Pereira's move to heavyweight, and the emergence of fighters such as Jailton Almeida and Sergei Pavlovich. Even if Aspinall fights for the unified title before year's end, Volkov would likely not get his shot until spring at the earliest. The heavyweight division's depth means Volkov cannot simply wait out the competition.