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Tag: Alexander Volkov

  • Aspinall On Volkov: This Is A Complete Mismatch In His Favor On Paper

    Tom Aspinall believes that, on paper, his UFC London main event against Alexander Volkov is a terrible matchup for him.

    Aspinall is set for his first UFC main event in just his fifth UFC fight while Volkov will be headlining his sixth event. It’s an intriguing matchup as Aspinall has run through all his competition, but Volkov is an experienced veteran and has fought the who’s who of the heavyweight division. With that, even the Brit believes that, on paper, this should be a fight he loses.

    “I mean, I’ve trained for five rounds. Like you say, I’ve never gone past the second. So, new territory for me. I’m completely aware that if you look at the stats on paper, this is a complete mismatch in his favor,” Aspinall said at media day. “I’m aware of that. Like, he has got so much more experience than me, he’s fought far more higher-level guys than me, he’s been in the top 10 for I don’t know how many years at this point. I’m just an up-and-coming guy breaking (into) the top 10, on paper. But on paper doesn’t really mean nothing when it comes to actual fighting.”

    Tom Aspinall
    Tom Aspinall

    Although Tom Aspinall believes on paper this is a fight Alexander Volkov should win, the betting odds have the Brit as a -125 favorite with the Russian as a +105 underdog. With that, Vegas and the public have been backing the Brit in this one, thinking he will win. However, as Aspinall says, paper means nothing when it comes to an actual fight.

    Tom Aspinall enters the fight riding a seven-fight win streak and coming off a first-round TKO over Serghei Spivac in September. Prior to that, he submitted Andrei Arlovski which is the biggest win of his career but should he beat Volkov, it will propel Aspinall into the top-5.

    Do you think Tom Aspinall will beat Alexander Volkov at UFC London?

  • Dana White Anticipates “Problems” For Russian Fighters For UFC London

    UFC President Dana White is unsure whether or not Russia-based fighters will be able to compete at the upcoming UFC London card.

    The UFC’s return to London is slated to take place on March 19 at the O2 Arena. The event will be headlined by a heavyweight matchup between Tom Aspinall and Russian contender Alexander Volkov.

    Other British stars such as Paddy Pimblett and Arnold Allen will also be on the UFC London card. White has been waiting for months to bring the UFC not just to the U.K., but to the European continent in general.

    During a recent interview with Barstool Sports, White gave an update on the status of Russian fighters competing at UFC London amidst the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.

    “Yeah, you know, it’s obviously gonna cause problems. But we’ll figure it out,” White said.

    White went on to address whether or not he could contact U.S. President Joe Biden for some assistance to have the Russian fighters fight in London.

    “No, I have Trump’s number, but I definitely don’t have Biden’s number.”

    It’s unclear if the UFC will have a backup plan in case Volkov and others won’t be able to fight. Russian heavyweights Sergei Pavlovich and Shamil Abdurakhimov will also compete on the main card.

    In addition to recent concerns about Russian fighters, the O2 Arena’s roof was also partially damaged during a recent storm in the London area.

    White sounds optimistic about making everything work for the upcoming UFC London card, but it’s clear that some hurdles remain just a few weeks before the event.

    What fight are you most excited for at UFC London?

  • Tom Aspinall Ready To Begin Heavyweight Takeover At UFC London

    UFC heavyweight contender Tom Aspinall is raring to go in 2022 and plans on beginning a heavyweight takeover with a main event victory over Alexander Volkov at UFC London.

    Early this week, the headlining fight for the UFC’s long-awaited return to England’s capital was confirmed. Unbeaten rising star Aspinall will collide with UFC veteran and former Bellator heavyweight champion Volkov.

    For Manchester’s Aspinall, the event will mark the first time he’s fought in front of a capacity UFC crowd, having defeated his first four opponents, Jake Collier, Alan Baudot, Andrei Arlovski, and Sergey Spivak, inside Las Vegas’ Apex facility and on Fight Island. What better way to arrive in front of a sold-out audience than in his home country?

    Opposite him in the Octagon on March 19 will be a talented and unique Russian striker standing six feet and seven inches tall. Incredibly, UFC London will mark Volkov’s sixth main event in just 12 UFC appearances.

    After having his title charged stalled at the hands of Ciryl Gane last summer, “Drago” will look to ride the momentum from his rebound victory over Marcin Tybura into his first outing of 2022, and set himself back on a winning streak.

    Aspinall: “I’m Gonna Be Up There”

    Many have been comparing Aspinall’s potential to that of Gane at the start of 2021. Last year was a breakout period for “Bon Gamin,” who made his main event debut against Jairzinho Rozenstruik in February, before defeating Volkov in a five-rounder four months later and having interim gold wrapped around his waist in a pay-per-view main event against Derrick Lewis in August.

    With Aspinall boasting an unblemished UFC record and getting set for his first headlining bout in the first quarter of this year, many expect the Englishman to replicate the 2021 of his French UFC peer. If he’s to do so, Aspinall will have to get past Volkov, a task the Manchester native is confident he can complete.

    During an appearance on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, Aspinall suggested he’s ready to make the most of his UFC London opportunity and begin his takeover at heavyweight.

    “These opportunities don’t come around all the time. I just feel like I’m ready, man. I just feel like this is my time man,” said Aspinall. “I just wanna go in there and show everybody just what I can really do, because everybody thinks they know what I’m good at and what I’m not good at, but nobody really knows. The only people who really know are the people around me. Mate, I’m gonna be up there and I’m gonna be flying the flag, and I’m gonna take over this shit.”

    Similar to UK stars like Arnold Allen, Paddy Pimblett, Jack Shore, Nathanial Wood, Mike Grundy, Molly McCann, and Muhammad Mokaev, Aspinall will be hoping to leave his mark when he enters the cage inside London’s O2 Arena on March 19.

    Who do you think will have their hand raised at UFC London in March, Tom Aspinall or Alexander Volkov?

  • Report: Tom Aspinall vs. Alexander Volkov To Headline UFC London

    Rising heavyweight Tom Aspinall and divisional veteran Alexander Volkov are expected to headline UFC’s return to London, England later this year, per a report.

    Volkov and Aspinall are set to serve as the main event for a March 19th UFC “Fight Night” event from the O2 Arena, per a report from Brett Okamoto of ESPN.

    The matchup gives Aspinall a chance to compete in his first UFC main event fight. His short run with the promotion has been explosive thus far, stopping all four of his opponents in the cage. This includes two wins from last year, which came against Andrei Arlovski and Serghei Spivac.

    Aspinall was first initially booked to face Shamil Abdurakhimov in a non-headlining fight on this card. It is not known what the plan is for Abdurakhimov now that this matchup has been booked.

    Volkov Returns To Familiar Headlining Position

    Alexander Volkov, Alistair Overeem
    Photo by Chris Unger/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images

    Volkov has fought some of the top names at heavyweight for most of his 11-fight UFC career. He is no stranger to headlining cards, as the new booking is scheduled to be his sixth time in the main event spot.

    Volkov is coming off a win, as his last fight was a unanimous decision victory over Marcin Tybura in October at UFC 267. His last main event fight was in June 2021, when he lost to now-interim UFC Heavyweight Champion Ciryl Gane.

    Aspinall is just one of the many England-based fighters that are expected for the show. Earlier today, it was reported that Paddy Pimblett will also return on the card against Kazula Vargas.

    The event marks UFC’s first time in London in over three years, as the COVID-19 pandemic has limited the number of locations they can travel to.

    With this main event announced, here is the updated lineup for UFC London:

    Heavyweight Bout: Alexander Volkov vs. Tom Aspinall

    Lightweight Bout: Paddy Pimblett vs. Kazula Vargas

    Featherweight Bout: Mike Grundy vs. Makwan Amirkhani

    Bantamweight Bout: Jack Shore vs. Timur Valiev

    Flyweight Bout: Molly McCann vs. Luana Carolina

    Flyweight Bout: Muhammad Mokaev vs. Cody Durden

    Strawweight Bout: Elise Reed vs. Cory McKenna

    Flyweight Bout: Jake Hadley vs. Allan Nascimento

    How do you think Tom Aspinall will do in his very first UFC main event fight?