Alexander Volkov is in a pretty tricky spot right now. And after the UFC announced that Josh Hokit would challenge Ciryl Gane for the undisputed heavyweight title at UFC 334, his situation only got more complicated.
For the unversed, Volkov has won six of his last seven fights, with his only loss coming against Gane at UFC 310. Even that decision remains controversial, with a large section of the fanbase believing Volkov did enough to get his hand raised.
Dana White also promised to make things right immediately after the fight, but nothing came of it. Right after the bout, the UFC CEO was convinced Volkov had won and told his corner, “Tell him he got f**ked by the judges. I don’t know what we’ll do, but we’ll try to make it right by him.”
Ironically, making it right has meant two separate title opportunities for Gane against Tom Aspinall at UFC 321 and Alex Pereira at UFC Freedom 250.
Meanwhile, Volkov’s next fight is set for UFC 333 against Rizvan Kuniev, which certainly doesn’t look like the kind of matchup that would normally lead to a title shot. However, White recently acknowledged that Volkov is already in the title picture.
Dana White Acknowledges Alexander Volkov Was Treated Unfairly After Controversial Ciryl Gane Loss
Speaking to reporters ahead of UFC 332, Dana White said about Volkov, “He’s in there (in the mix). It’s not like he has to do anything to come close to the title shot. He’s in it right now, everything you said is dead on, and he’ll get his shot.”
While the Kuniev fight may not make much sense on paper, White’s comments suggest that it could still be enough for Volkov to earn a championship fight next.
White added, “Sometimes people get in these weird positions where they feel like they’re in no man’s land, but it’s just a timing issue. You got Tom Aspinall, the situation that happened with him. We got through that, waiting for him to come back.
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He said, “Gane’s in there. He thinks we should have done the rematch (with Alex Pereira). There’s a lot of different variables that determine whether a guy’s going to fight next or whatever. He couldn’t be in a better position.”
Volkov, meanwhile, has been pretty vocal about his frustration in recent days. He believes Hokit effectively skipped the line and shouldn’t have received the title shot against Gane ahead of him.
The Russian heavyweight even sarcastically thanked the UFC for giving the opportunity to a “mentally ill” fighter like Hokit, taking aim at the heavyweight contender’s outspoken personality and verbal outbursts.
Alexander Volkov unexpectedly praises the UFC for giving Josh Hokit the title shot:
“I want to be honest with you… I’m very supportive of this fight from the UFC.
Josh Hokit, from what I know about him, has clearly been dealing with some mental illness, so it’s very admirable… pic.twitter.com/G6cGHuxJoV
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) September 23, 2026
Volkov’s frustration is understandable from a competitive standpoint, especially considering Hokit is coming off wins over Curtis Blaydes and a 41-year-old Derrick Lewis. Those two victories don’t exactly resemble the kind of run that usually guarantees an immediate title shot.
For now, Volkov still has to deal with Kuniev at UFC 333. If White’s comments are anything to go by, though, the heavyweight contender may not have to wait much longer for his long-awaited title opportunity.
Kshitiz Kumar Singh is a UFC Writer at NY Fights with over three years of experience in sports journalism and content creation. Known for his sharp storytelling and passion for combat sports, he has written in-depth features on stars like Brock Lesnar, Randy Couture, and Ilia Topuria. Before joining NY Fights, Kshitiz worked as a UFC Editor at EssentiallySports while currently serving as a WWE Editor at FirstSportz. His admiration for legends like Georges St-Pierre continues to inspire his detailed and engaging MMA coverage. Whether he’s covering the Octagon or the squared circle, Kshitiz is committed to delivering accurate, high-quality content. Outside the world of sports, he’s a dedicated cinephile, often found practicing monologues from his favorite Al Pacino films, combining his love for cinema with storytelling.
