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

Alexander Volkov earned the undisputed No. 1 contender ranking at UFC 321, but a series of developments have pushed his title shot further down the road. Tom Aspinall's timeline, Ciryl Gane's injury to the champion, Alex Pereira's move to heavyweight, and the rise of contenders such as Sergei Pavlovich and Jailton Almeida have complicated the picture. Even in the most optimistic scenario, Volkov is unlikely to receive a title shot before spring, and only if no new challengers emerge ahead of him.