There are people who train both their bodies and their minds in equal measure. Alexander Volkov, the UFC’s No. 2 heavyweight, is one of them – a professional fighter and a university-trained engineer. After nearly a year away from the octagon following a split-decision loss to Ciryl Gane, the Russian returns to competition to take on Jailton Almeida at UFC 312 (8:00 p.m. ET, MAX) in Abu Dhabi.
Volkov’s future turned out very different from what he had once imagined. The Moscow native earned his engineering degree from Bauman Moscow State Technical University in 2011. “Engineers are taught to take personal responsibility for their professional actions, to be ready to make decisions on their own. So I made my choice, and my family accepted it,” Volkov told the UFC in an interview.
By the time he graduated, Volkov already held a professional MMA record of nine wins and three losses – a sport he had practiced for most of his life. His name was already making waves across Europe, and by the end of that same year, he had added five more victories. Two months later, he defeated former UFC heavyweight champion Ricco Rodriguez. The world’s top promotion signed him at the end of 2016 and, by his third fight, he was already headlining a card.
His nickname, “Drago,” came naturally – a nod to the Russian villain from Rocky IV. At 6-foot-7 (2.01 meters), Volkov embraced the comparison. “They called me that because of my resemblance to the character from the sports movie Rocky IV. Or, more accurately, to Dolph Lundgren, who played Ivan Drago,” he explained. His first defeat came at the hands of Derrick Lewis via knockout, but he bounced back. Over the years, Volkov alternated wins and setbacks until he climbed to the No. 2 spot in the UFC heavyweight rankings.
A heavyweight division revived
Volkov last stepped into the cage in December of last year, when Ciryl Gane defeated him for the second time – this time by split decision. The heavyweight division, long stagnant under Jon Jones, is alive again. The American won the belt and defended it once in November 2024 before announcing his retirement, leaving the title vacant.
Now, the crown will be up for grabs at this event between interim champion Tom Aspinall and Gane – both of whom have previously beaten Volkov. Once the division has a new champion, movement will return, and the Russian will be well-positioned to make a run at the title. Sitting just behind Gane in the rankings, he could be next in line for the first title defense – provided he can get past Almeida, ranked No. 5, who comes in riding a two-fight win streak.
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