TRENDING Chiefs vs. Seahawks updates NFL Week 7 Winners and Losers Antonelli wins U.S. GP CFB Winners and Losers Rodgers makes history Story by Story by Daniel Cormier: Alexander Volkov next for title shot after UFC 333 win Mike Bohn, MMA Junkie Sun, October 25, 2026 at 11:40 PM UTC · 2 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Daniel Cormier thinks Alexander Volkov has done enough to warrant his first shot at the UFC heavyweight championship.
Volkov (41-11 MMA, 15-5 UFC) made all sorts of noise about his place in the title picture leading up to Saturday's UFC 333 matchup with Rizvan Kuniev (15-4-1 MMA, 2-2 UFC) in Abu Dhabi. He won by unanimous decision , giving him a seventh victory in his past eight fights with the lone blemish coming against Ciryl Gane in a highly controversial split decision at UFC 310 in December 2024.
Despite his strong record over 20 octagon appearances, Volkov has not found himself into the challenger position for the belt. UFC Hall of Famer and color commentator Cormier thinks the Russian is closer than ever, and should be the rightful challenger to the winner of Gane (14-2 MMA, 11-2 w. 1 NC UFC) vs. Josh Hokit (10-0 MMA, 4-0 UFC) for the belt at UFC 334 on Nov. 14, but admits there are a few hurdles that could details his opportunity.
"Volkov got a big victory," Cormier said on his YouTube channel. "I thought Volkov cemented himself as the No. 1 contender as long as Tom Aspinall is not right back after the title fight in November. Or unless Alex Pereira has an insane knockout of Sergei Pavlovich (at UFC 335)."
Many thought Volkov should've been the one fighting for gold at UFC 334, but it didn't play out that way. He's made strides to put himself on the radar of fans and the UFC, from giving strong quotes in interviews to approaching UFC CEO Dana White with questions at the UFC 333 pre-fight press conference.
Cormier acknowledges that former champion Tom Aspinall, who vacated the belt this year due to his lingering eye issues, should be at the front of the line if he's cleared for a return. He also can't dismiss the pull of Pereira's star power if he wins at UFC 335 on Dec. 12.
If neither of those things happen, though, Cormier sees Volkov having a clear path to fight for gold.
"I believe that Volkov reintroduced himself to a title opportunity," Cormier said. "Hey, a finish would've been better. But he was more aggressive tonight and he fought better."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Daniel Cormier: Alexander Volkov next for title shot after UFC 333 win
Source: Sports
