Alexander Volkov

Overview

Eight of Alexander Volkov's 15 UFC wins have come by decision, and his last four fights all went the distance. The man listed at 6'7" with an 80" reach has built a long UFC career out of beating people from range, not out of one-punch endings.

He debuted in November 2016 and holds a 15-5 UFC record (41-11-0 across all promotions). Seven of those wins are finishes: six by KO/TKO, one by submission. He carries a three-fight win streak into his next fight, and two of those three wins came against opponents our model rates as elite.

Heavyweight, Global Fight Gym, born in Moscow.

UFC Career

Volkov opened with two decision wins, a split decision over Timothy Johnson and a unanimous decision over Roy Nelson. Then came the finishes. He stopped Stefan Struve in the third round of a main event, then knocked out Fabricio Werdum in round four of a five-round main event, one of the elite opponents of his career.

The first loss followed: a third-round KO/TKO against Derrick Lewis, also an elite opponent, at 4:49 of the round. A unanimous decision over Greg Hardy got him moving again, but a five-round main event loss to Curtis Blaydes came next.

Then came a pair of stoppages: a second-round finish of Walt Harris, then a second-round finish of Alistair Overeem in a main event. His next main event brought a five-round unanimous decision loss to Ciryl Gane. He bounced back with a decision over Marcin Tybura.

In March 2022, Tom Aspinall submitted him in the first round of a main event. His only submission loss came in under four minutes. Volkov answered with back-to-back first-round TKO wins over Jairzinho Rozenstruik and Alexandr Romanov, each in about two minutes. Then he submitted Tai Tuivasa in round two.

Since then the fights have been closer and the opposition harder. He beat Sergei Pavlovich by unanimous decision, then lost a split decision to Gane in their rematch. He has not lost since. A split decision over Jailton Almeida, then unanimous decisions over Waldo Cortes Acosta and Rizvan Kuniev, make up the streak he carries forward.

Five losses in 20 fights, and only two came by stoppage.

Fighting Style

Alexander Volkov is a busy, accurate striker. He lands more than most fighters and hits what he throws, and he is harder to hit than the typical UFC fighter. His defense is about average, so his edge comes from output and precision rather than slipping shots.

He is tough to take down and rarely looks for takedowns himself. He also attempts few submissions, so he is not a fighter who drags opponents to the mat.

The results reflect a striker. Six of his seven finishes are knockouts, coming in rounds one through four, with two inside the first round. His one submission win shows he can finish on the ground, but it is the exception. Eight of his 15 UFC wins have gone to the scorecards.

Notable Wins

• Fabricio Werdum — KO/TKO, round 4, UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Volkov (2018)
• Alistair Overeem — KO/TKO, round 2, UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Volkov (2021)
• Jailton Almeida — split decision, round 3, UFC 321 (2025)
• Waldo Cortes Acosta — unanimous decision, round 3, UFC 328 (2026)

Quick Facts

• Division: Heavyweight
• UFC record: 15-5 (7 finishes)
• Professional record (all promotions): 41-11-0
• UFC debut: 2016
• Height: 6'7"
• Reach: 80"
• Team: Global Fight Gym
• Born: Moscow, Russia