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Alexander Volkov reveals fear of fighting for UFC heavyweight title
TL;DR
Alexander Volkov won against Waldo Cortes-Acosta at UFC 328, securing a unanimous decision. He expressed concerns about the risks of fighting for the heavyweight title after past experiences.
Key points
- Alexander Volkov won by unanimous decision at UFC 328
- He faced Waldo Cortes-Acosta in Newark, N.J.
- Volkov expressed fear of fighting for the heavyweight title
- He recalled a previous loss to Derrick Lewis despite leading
- Volkov now has back-to-back wins
Mentioned in this story
Newark, N.J.
Alexander VolkovWaldo Cortes-AcostaUFC 328
NEWARK, N.J. – Alexander Volkov met the media Saturday after his win over Waldo Cortes-Acosta at UFC 328.
Volkov (40-11 MMA, 14-5 UFC) took a unanimous decision from Cortes-Acosta (17-3 MMA, 10-3 UFC) in their featured heavyweight bout on the main card at Prudential Center in Newark, N.J. The 37-year-old now has back-to-back wins and may have put himself in the title picture.
Volkov said he had to be wary of what could happen to him if he wasn't careful against Cortes-Acosta. He still hasn't forgotten about the time he was up on the scorecards against Derrick Lewis, but got caught with a late Hail Mary.
And no one else seems to let him forget about it, either.
"Maybe it wasn't so impressive, but Waldo is a fcking tough motherfcker," Volkov said at his post-fight news conference. "Nobody can finish him. I knocked him down in the second round, but he was so accurate with his strikes. I learned the lesson in 2018 when Derrick Lewis did the same and caught me at the very end of the fight.
"Everybody reminds me of this again and again every time they see me. So I know this lesson very good. So with these tough motherf*ckers who can punch every minute of the fight, better to be very accurate and just give him a lot of damage."
Lewis is one of only two people to put Volkov away with punches, and the big Russian said it pops into his head in the cage – including against "WCA" on Saturday.
"It's flashbacks every time," he said. "I just keep telling myself, 'Be focused, be accurate until the end – move, don't relax, don't feel like you can beat him.'"
If Volkov is in the title picture at heavyweight, he isn't sure what to think about it, though.
An interim title will be divvied out next month when Ciryl Gane takes on former middleweight and light heavyweight champion Alex Pereira. If Pereira wins it, he'll make history as the UFC's first three-division titleholder. But regardless of who wins, champ Tom Aspinall waits.
And that means a unifier could be well into the future – and if Volkov waits around, he surely will be passing up on key chances for fights late in his career.
But as it is, he said he's actually scared of heavyweight title talk.
Q&A
What did Alexander Volkov say about his fear of fighting for the UFC heavyweight title?
Alexander Volkov revealed that he is cautious about the risks involved in fighting for the heavyweight title, recalling a past fight where he lost despite being ahead on the scorecards.
How did Alexander Volkov perform in his fight against Waldo Cortes-Acosta?
Volkov secured a unanimous decision victory over Waldo Cortes-Acosta at UFC 328, marking his second consecutive win.
What are Alexander Volkov's current stats after his win at UFC 328?
After his victory at UFC 328, Volkov's professional MMA record improved to 40 wins and 11 losses, with a UFC record of 14 wins and 5 losses.