Alexander Volkov (fighter)
| Alexander Volkov | |
|---|---|
| Born |
October 24, 1988 Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union |
| Other names | Drago |
| Residence | Moscow, Russia |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Weight | 249 lb (113 kg; 17.8 st) |
| Division | Heavyweight |
| Reach | 81 in (206 cm) |
| Fighting out of | Moscow, Russia |
| Team | Team Strela |
| Rank |
Black belt in Tsu Shin Gen[1] Brown belt in Kyokushin[1] Purple belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu[1] |
| Years active | 2009-present |
| Mixed martial arts record | |
| Total | 34 |
| Wins | 28 |
| By knockout | 18 |
| By submission | 3 |
| By decision | 7 |
| Losses | 6 |
| By knockout | 1 |
| By submission | 2 |
| By decision | 3 |
| Mixed martial arts record from Sherdog | |
Alexander Yevgenievich Volkov (Russian: Александр Евгеньевич Волков; born October 24, 1988) is a Russian mixed martial artist who competes in the UFC heavyweight division. A professional MMA competitor since 2009, Volkov has competed almost exclusively for the M-1 Global promotion. He was released by Bellator MMA after two losses. He is currently the M-1 Global Heavyweight Champion.
Mixed martial arts career
M-1 Global
Volkov's professional MMA debut came in April 2009 when he defeated Nikolay Pleshakov by TKO (punches) in just 80 seconds.[2] Volkov followed this up a month later with another TKO victory, this time against Adam Alikhanov in just 20 seconds.[3] A further month later, Volkov suffered his first professional loss at the hands of Akhmed Sultanov. Midway through the first round, Volkov was forced to tap due to strikes. Volkov then went on a two-fight win streak, both via TKO.[3]
In December 2009, after just eight months as a professional fighter,[3] Volkov faced Ibragim Magomedov at M-1 Challenge 20 - 2009 Finals. Coming in as an underdog, his team simply wanted him to make it through all three rounds, but Volkov exceeded expectations by winning via unanimous decision.[4] Volkov was awarded an M-1 Global ring "as a reward for exceptional performance".[4]
Volkov faced Denis Smoldarev on February 19, 2016 M-1 Challenge 64 for the vacant M-1 Global Heavyweight title, he won the fight via submission (triangle choke).
Volkov faced former Bellator light heavyweight champion Attila Végh on June 16, 2016 at M-1 Challenge 68. He won the fight via knockout in the first round.
M-1 Eastern European tournament
Within his first year of professional competition, Volkov was competing in the M-1 Eastern European tournament,[4] taking victories in the opening round and the semi-final.[3] Volkov progressed to the M-1 Selection 2010 - Eastern Europe Finals, where a win would put him in line to challenge for the M-1 Global Heavyweight title at the 2010 M-1 Challenge Season events. To reach the championship fight, Volkov first had to take on Maxim Grishin to become the Eastern Europe champion. Unfortunately for Volkov, he fell prey to a rear naked choke early in the opening round and was eliminated.[5]
Post M-1 Eastern European tournament
Less than a month later, Volkov took his first fight outside of M-1 in nearly a year. His opponent was the debuting Eldar Yagudin, who he defeated inside the opening round by TKO (punches).[3]
On August 5, 2011, as part of League-70 Russia vs Brazil, held in Sochi, Russia, Alexander Volkov defeated the undefeated at that time Bulgarian Nedyalko Karadzhov via TKO in the opening round.
Bellator MMA
In September 2012, it was announced that Volkov would compete for Bellator Fighting Championships. He made his U.S. debut in the Bellator season seven heavyweight tournament. In the opening, quarter-final round he faced Brett Rogers at Bellator 75. Volkov dominated the fight by making the most of his reach advantage. Volkov won via unanimous decision.[6] In the semifinals at Bellator 80, he faced Vinicius Queiroz and won via TKO in the second round. On December 14, Volkov fought Richard Hale in a 5 round fight for Bellator Season 7 Heavyweight Tournament Final and Bellator Heavyweight Championship. Volkov won via unanimous decision.
In his first title defense, Volkov faced Vitaly Minakov in the co-main event at Bellator 108 on November 15, 2013. He lost the bout and his title via TKO in the first round.
Volkov faced Mark Holata on March 7, 2014 at Bellator 111 in Heavyweight Tournament.[7] He won the fight via TKO in the first round. Volkov faced Mighty Mo in the semifinals at Bellator 116 on April 11, 2014. He won the fight via spectacular knockout in the first round.
Volkov faced Blagoy Ivanov in the finals on May 17, 2014, at Bellator 120. He won the fight via submission in the second round.
Nearly a year since his last fight for the promotion, Volkov faced Tony Johnson at Bellator 136 on April 10, 2015.[8] He lost the fight via split decision.
Volkov faced Cheick Kongo at Bellator 139 on June 26, 2015.[9] He lost the fight via unanimous decision marking his second consecutive loss being cut by the Bellator MMA.[10]
Ultimate Fighting Championship
In September 2016, it was announced that Volkov has signed with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. He made his debut against Timothy Johnson on November 19, 2016 at UFC Fight Night 99.[11] Volkov was awarded a split decision victory.[12]
Volkov faced Roy Nelson on April 15, 2017 at UFC on Fox 24.[13] He won the fight via unanimous decision (30–27, 30–27, 30–27).[14]
Volkov is expected to face Stefan Struve on September 2, 2017 at UFC Fight Night: Struve vs. Volkov.[15]
Championships and accomplishments
- Bellator Fighting Championships
- M-1 Global
- M-1 Global Heavyweight Championship (One time)
- M-1 Eastern European Tournament Runner-Up
Mixed martial arts record
| Professional record breakdown | ||
| 34 matches | 28 wins | 6 losses |
| By knockout | 18 | 1 |
| By submission | 3 | 2 |
| By decision | 7 | 3 |
| Res. | Record | Opponent | Method | Event | Date | Round | Time | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win | 28–6 | Roy Nelson | Decision (unanimous) | UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Reis | April 15, 2017 | 3 | 5:00 | Kansas City, Missouri, United States | |
| Win | 27–6 | Timothy Johnson | Decision (split) | UFC Fight Night: Mousasi vs. Hall 2 | November 19, 2016 | 3 | 5:00 | Belfast, Northern Ireland | |
| Win | 26–6 | Attila Végh | KO (punches) | M-1 Challenge 68 | June 16, 2016 | 1 | 2:38 | Moscow, Russia | Defended the M-1 Global Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 25–6 | Denis Smoldarev | Submission (triangle choke) | M-1 Challenge 64 | February 19, 2016 | 3 | 0:41 | Moscow, Russia | Won the M-1 Global Heavyweight Championship. |
| Loss | 24–6 | Cheick Kongo | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 139 | June 26, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Mulvane, Kansas, United States | |
| Loss | 24–5 | Tony Johnson | Decision (split) | Bellator 136 | April 10, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Irvine, California, United States | |
| Win | 24–4 | Alexei Kudin | Decision (unanimous) | Union MMA Pro | February 21, 2015 | 3 | 5:00 | Krasnodar, Russia | |
| Win | 23–4 | Roy Boughton | TKO (punches) | Tech-Krep FC: Battle of Heroes | December 12, 2014 | 1 | 0:40 | Saint Petersburg, Russia | |
| Win | 22–4 | Blagoy Ivanov | Submission (rear-naked choke) | Bellator 120 | May 17, 2014 | 2 | 1:08 | Southaven, Mississippi, United States | Bellator Season 10 Heavyweight Tournament Final. |
| Win | 21–4 | Siala-Mou Siliga | KO (head kick) | Bellator 116 | April 11, 2014 | 1 | 2:44 | Temecula, California, United States | Bellator Season 10 Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal. |
| Win | 20–4 | Mark Holata | TKO (punches) | Bellator 111 | March 7, 2014 | 1 | 1:21 | Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States | Bellator Season 10 Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal. |
| Loss | 19–4 | Vitaly Minakov | TKO (punches) | Bellator 108 | November 15, 2013 | 1 | 2:57 | Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States | Lost the Bellator Heavyweight Championship. |
| Win | 19–3 | Richard Hale | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 84 | December 14, 2012 | 5 | 5:00 | Hammond, Indiana, United States | Won the vacant Bellator Heavyweight Championship; Bellator Season 7 Heavyweight Tournament Final. |
| Win | 18–3 | Vinicius Queiroz | TKO (punches) | Bellator 80 | November 9, 2012 | 2 | 4:59 | Hollywood, Florida, United States | Bellator Season 7 Heavyweight Tournament Semifinal. |
| Win | 17–3 | Brett Rogers | Decision (unanimous) | Bellator 75 | October 5, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Hammond, Indiana, United States | Bellator Season 7 Heavyweight Tournament Quarterfinal |
| Win | 16–3 | Stefan Stankovic | TKO (punches) | FEFoMP: Mayor Cup 2012 | May 26, 2012 | 1 | 4:27 | Khabarovsk, Russia | |
| Win | 15–3 | Ricco Rodriguez | Decision (unanimous) | BF: Baltic Challenge 3 | February 23, 2012 | 3 | 5:00 | Kaliningrad, Russia | |
| Win | 14–3 | Arsen Abdulkerimov | TKO (punches) | M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Monson | November 20, 2011 | 1 | 0:26 | Moscow, Russia | |
| Win | 13–3 | Bahodir Ibrogimov | TKO (punches) | MMA Corona Cup 1 | October 7, 2011 | 2 | 2:22 | Moscow, Russia | |
| Win | 12–3 | Nedyalko Karadzhov | TKO (punches) | League-70: Russia vs. Brazil | August 5, 2011 | 1 | 2:41 | Sochi, Russia | |
| Win | 11–3 | Denis Goltsov | TKO (punches) | M-1 Challenge 25: Zavurov vs. Enomoto | April 28, 2011 | 2 | 3:05 | Saint Petersburg, Russia | |
| Win | 10–3 | Ruslan Chapko | TKO (punches) | Mix Fight Tournament | January 15, 2011 | 1 | N/A | Voronezh, Russia | |
| Loss | 9–3 | Pat Bennett | Decision (unanimous) | M-1 Challenge 22: Narkun vs. Vasilevsky | December 10, 2010 | 4 | 5:00 | Moscow, Russia | |
| Win | 9–2 | Evgeni Babich | TKO (punches) | LM: Tournament 3 | September 18, 2010 | 1 | 2:10 | Lipetsk, Russia | |
| Win | 8–2 | Eldar Yagudin | TKO (punches) | Ratnoe Pole | August 7, 2010 | 1 | 4:34 | Ryazan, Russia | |
| Loss | 7–2 | Maxim Grishin | Submission (rear-naked choke) | M-1 Selection 2010: Eastern Europe Finals | July 22, 2010 | 1 | 2:39 | Moscow, Russia | Eastern Europe Tournament Final. |
| Win | 7–1 | Alexander Romaschenko | Submission (rear-naked choke) | M-1 Selection 2010: Eastern Europe Round 3 | May 28, 2010 | 1 | 2:59 | Kiev, Ukraine | Eastern Europe Tournament Semifinal. |
| Win | 6–1 | Vitalii Yalovenko | TKO (doctor stoppage) | M-1 Selection 2010: Eastern Europe Round 2 | April 10, 2010 | 2 | 1:05 | Kiev, Ukraine | Eastern Europe Tournament Opening Round. |
| Win | 5–1 | Ibragim Magomedov | Decision (unanimous) | M-1 Challenge 20: 2009 Finals | December 3, 2009 | 3 | 5:00 | Saint Petersburg, Russia | Russian Team Championship Finals. |
| Win | 4–1 | Smbat Zakaryan | TKO (punches) | ProFC: Union Nation Cup 3 | October 30, 2009 | 1 | 4:20 | Rostov-on-Don, Russia | 3rd Stage Of The CIS Cup Team. |
| Win | 3–1 | Abdulhalik Magomedov | TKO (punches) | M-1 Challenge: 2009 Selections 8 | October 4, 2009 | 1 | 4:43 | Moscow, Russia | 8th Stage Russian Team Championship. |
| Loss | 2–1 | Akhmed Sultanov | Submission (armbar) | M-1 Challenge: 2009 Selections 4 | June 24, 2009 | 1 | 2:50 | Saint Petersburg, Russia | 4th Stage Russian Team Championship. |
| Win | 2–0 | Adam Alikhanov | TKO (punches) | M-1 Challenge: 2009 Selections 3 | May 28, 2009 | 1 | 0:20 | Saint Petersburg, Russia | 3rd Stage Russian Team Championship. |
| Win | 1–0 | Nikolay Pleshakov | TKO (punches) | M-1 Challenge: 2009 Selections 2 | April 19, 2009 | 1 | 1:20 | Saint Petersburg, Russia | 2nd Stage Russian Team Championship. |
The record box is based on Volkov's record on Sherdog.[3]
References
- 1 2 3 "Alexander Volkov - Official UFC Profile". UFC.com. Retrieved November 20, 2016.
- ↑ "Sunday's M-1 card to stream on Sherdog.com". sherdog.com. April 18, 2009. Archived from the original on April 23, 2009.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Alexander Volkov". sherdog.com. Retrieved September 8, 2010.
- 1 2 3 Schaap, J. (March 3, 2010). "The biggest Russian sensation of 2009 gets his reward". m-1global.com. Archived from the original on October 7, 2011. Retrieved September 20, 2010.
- ↑ "M-1 Selection 2010 Europe Finals feature spectacular performances". sherdog.com. July 22, 2010.
- ↑ "Bizarre groin foul finish puts Thiago Santos past Eric Prindle at Bellator 75". sherdog.com. October 5, 2012.
- ↑ "former Russian champion vs. super american mma fighter". mmafighting.com. March 6, 2014.
- ↑ Jason Floyd (March 11, 2015). "Bellator 136 adds Alexander Volkov vs. Tony Johnson and Fabricio Guerreiro vs. John Teixeira". themmareport.com.
- ↑ Chuck Mindenhall (April 21, 2015). "Cheick Kongo to clash with Alexander Volkov at Bellator 139". mmafighting.com.
- ↑ "Bellator releases five fighters, including former champion". bloodyelbow.com. October 31, 2015.
- ↑ Staff (2016-09-29). "-Ex-Bellator champ Alexander Volkov debuts with promotion vs. Timothy Johnson at UFC Fight Night 99". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-09-29.
- ↑ Dann Stupp (2016-11-19). "-UFC Fight Night 99 results: Ex-Bellator champ Alexander Volkov edges Timothy Johnson". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2016-11-19.
- ↑ Staff (2017-03-14). "Roy Nelson meets ex-Bellator champ Alexander Volkov at UFC on FOX 24 in Kansas City". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-03-14.
- ↑ Steven Marrocco (2017-04-15). "UFC on FOX 24 results: Alexander Volkov picks apart Roy Nelson for clean-sweep victory". mmajunkie.com. Retrieved 2017-04-15.
- ↑ Guilherme Cruz (2017-05-27). "Stefan Struve vs. Alexander Volkov headlines UFC event in Rotterdam". mmafighting.com. Retrieved 2017-05-27.
