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Alexander Volkov saw a two-fight win streak snapped at UFC Vegas 30 as he suffered a resounding unanimous decision loss at the hands of surging contender Ciryl Gane.
Volkov started fairly well and even clinched the first round on one scorecard, but things went downhill for him from there. Gane's constant stance switches, snappy jabs, excellent understanding of range, and relentless counters meant that 'Drago' was never really in the fight.
Despite the loss, which was his third in six fights, Alexander Volkov is one of the best heavyweights in the UFC and won't be short of fights to make.
Here are three potential next opponents after his loss at UFC Vegas 30:
#3 Alexander Volkov vs. Jairzinho Rozenstruik/Curtis Blaydes
An interesting heavyweight matchup between Curtis Blaydes and Jairzinho Rozenstruik is in the works, even if it hasn't been finalized yet. The winner could face off against Alexander Volkov. Even the loser could be pitted against 'Drago' in a fight that would have a major bearing on the state of the UFC's heavyweight division.
Blaydes, currently ranked fourth, used his wrestling to clinch a decision win over Volkov last year. Although he has been knocked out by Derrick Lewis since, his unique style makes him a bad matchup for almost everyone on the roster.
Rozenstruik, on the other hand, is on his way back up the UFC heavyweight rankings. He snapped a two-fight losing streak with a TKO win over Augusto Sakai and seems highly motivated to work his way back into the title picture.
Both men could be excellent matchups for Alexander Volkov, who could solidify his place in the top five with a win.
#2 Alexander Volkov vs. the winner of Chris Daukaus-Shamil Abdurakhimov
Since Alexander Volkov is coming off a loss and is 3-3 in his last six fights, he may want a lower-ranked opponent for his UFC return. The winner of Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Chris Daukaus, which has been booked for UFC Fight Night 191 on July 24, could present the perfect opportunity.
Abdurakhimov is returning to the octagon for the first time since September 2019, where he suffered a TKO loss to Curtis Blaydes. With wins over Chase Sherman, Andrei Arlovski, and Marcin Tybura, the Dagestani is one of the most skilled heavyweights on the UFC roster.
Daukaus, meanwhile, is on a four-fight win streak and got the better of Alexei Oleinik in February this year. With all three of his UFC wins ending via first-round knockout, the 31-year-old has had a brilliant start to life in the promotion.
Volkov might drop out of the top five of the UFC rankings soon, and if he does, taking on the winner of Abdurakhimov vs. Daukaus would make a lot of sense.
#1 Alexander Volkov vs. Marcin Tybura
Marcin Tybura, currently ranked eighth in the UFC's heavyweight division, could be perfect as Alexander Volkov's next opponent. The Polish fighter made a splash in just his second UFC fight when he finished his opponent via a head kick.
Tybura struggled a few years ago as he lost to Shamil Abdurakhimov, Augusto Sakai, Derrick Lewis, and Fabricio Werdum in the space of five fights.
However, he has experienced a remarkable career resurgence and now has five wins on the trot in arguably the most challenging division to amass win streaks in. Tybura cruised to decision wins over Sergey Spivak, Maxim Grishin, and Ben Rothwell before finishing Greg Hardy and Walt Harris.
Now a firm contender in his fighting prime, Tybura would welcome the opportunity to trade leather with a fighter as credentialed in the UFC as Volkov. 'Tybur' is ready for a top-five opponent, and a win would catapult him into the title picture in an instant. The Russian, too, would begin his climb back up the UFC heavyweight rankings with a win.
Also Read: 3 possible next opponents for Ciryl Gane after UFC Vegas 30
