Alexander Volkov Stuck at Back of UFC Heavyweight Title Queue Despite No. 1 Ranking

Alexander Volkov secured the undisputed No. 1 contender position at UFC 321 but faces a crowded path to a heavyweight title shot, with Tom Aspinall, Ciryl Gane, and Alex Pereira all ahead of him in the pecking order. Even under the best circumstances, Volkov would not be in line for a title fight before late spring at the earliest, with contenders such as Sergei Pavlovich, Jailton Almeida, and Rodrigo Nascimento also actively pursuing championship opportunities. Gane's injury to the champion following UFC 321 set off a chain of events that has repeatedly pushed Volkov's title aspirations further back.