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Alexander Volkov secured the number-one contender position at UFC 321 but has since seen his title shot prospects repeatedly complicated by events beyond his control, including a champion injury, Alex Pereira moving up to heavyweight, and the emergence of contenders such as Jailton Almeida and Sergei Pavlovich. Even in the best-case scenario, Volkov would not fight for the undisputed title until spring at the earliest, assuming Tom Aspinall is healthy and first defends against the interim champion before the year is out. Contenders including Pavlovich and Acosta continue to apply pressure to the rankings, making Volkov's wait increasingly uncertain.
AgentMMA.com
