Volkov dismisses Dana White title demands as 'just for fun' after UFC 333 win

Alexander Volkov extended his winning streak to three fights with a unanimous decision victory over fellow Russian Rizvan Kuniev at UFC 333 on Saturday at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The judges scored the heavyweight bout 29-28, 30-27 and 30-27 in favour of Volkov (41-11), while Kuniev falls to 14-4-1 with one no-contest.

The result continues a strong run for “Drago” that began after a narrow split-decision loss to reigning heavyweight champion Ciryl Gane in December 2024. With three consecutive wins since that defeat, Volkov has positioned himself as a credible title contender — and he made sure the UFC’s leadership knew it during fight week.

Volkov drew widespread attention at the pre-fight news conference by directly asking UFC CEO Dana White for a title shot. After the win over Kuniev, he was quick to put that moment in context, insisting it came from a place of personality rather than strategy.

“I enjoy it throughout the week; I really enjoy this,” Volkov said in his post-fight interview. “People thought I did it to promote myself or something; I just did it for fun. I started learning English more; I go to the U.S. I started to be more confident in my English and this gives me more opportunity to speak with all of you.”

Long regarded as one of the more reserved fighters on the UFC roster, Volkov says the improvement in his English has been a genuine turning point. Greater fluency has allowed him to engage more freely with fans and media, and he appears to be embracing that shift after nearly a decade in the promotion.

Whether the public title-shot campaign was spontaneous or not, the timing is notable. Gane is set to defend the heavyweight title next month in New York City, and Volkov’s three-fight streak — combined with his previous close loss to the champion — keeps him firmly in the conversation for what comes next in the division.