Alexander Volkov's Title Shot Slipping Away in Crowded Heavyweight Division

Alexander Volkov earned the undisputed number-one contender position at UFC 321, but a series of circumstances has since pushed him down the queue. With Tom Aspinall expected to unify the heavyweight title against the interim champion no earlier than November or December, Volkov's shot would realistically come no sooner than spring at the earliest. Contenders including Sergei Pavlovich, Jailton Almeida, and the rising Tai Tuivasa-style hopeful Hawkit — who faces Derrick Lewis in under two weeks — are all pressing their own cases, leaving Volkov's path to gold increasingly uncertain.