Alkass Digital
Alexander Volkov found himself facing off against his fellow countryman and former teammate Sergei Pavlovich in an unexpected matchup at Saturday’s UFC on ABC 6. The showdown of Russian heavyweight contenders took place at Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where Volkov (37-10 MMA, 11-4 UFC) secured a commanding unanimous decision victory over Pavlovich (18-2 MMA, 6-2 UFC).
Volkov admitted his surprise at Pavlovich accepting the fight, considering he believed himself to be a challenging stylistic matchup for his former training partner. "I’m stylistically a very bad matchup for Sergei, so his manager should be more honest with him about the fights that he should or shouldn’t accept," Volkov remarked during the post-fight press conference. "I didn’t spar this way with Sergei when we used to spar together, and what I mean is that unorthodox way."
The bout was marred by pre-fight tension, as both fighters felt aggrieved over the circumstances leading to their clash. Volkov claimed he was under the impression that Pavlovich had accepted the fight first, a point of contention that escalated the animosity between them. Following Volkov's victory, an attempt to reconcile with a handshake from Volkov was met with a shove from Pavlovich, exemplifying the strained relations.
Looking forward, Volkov expressed interest in a potential title eliminator fight following his current four-fight winning streak. However, he acknowledged that his future in the division ultimately lies with the decisions of the UFC. "I would really like to fight for the title, but I’m also an employee of the UFC," Volkov stated. "There’s been kind of an unwritten agreement that that’s going to be the case, but who is it going to be or where is it going to be, we don’t really know yet."
Volkov’s decisive victory and subsequent aspirations underscored a contentious rivalry that may continue to unfold in the UFC's competitive heavyweight landscape.