Alexander Volkov walked out of UFC 328 with a key heavyweight victory, earning a unanimous decision over Waldo Cortes-Acosta in a featured main card bout at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
The win moves Volkov to 40-11 in MMA and 14-5 in the UFC, while Cortes-Acosta falls to 17-3 overall and 10-3 in the promotion. Volkov has now recorded back-to-back victories and is considered to be in the heavyweight title picture.
Reflecting on the performance, Volkov praised his opponent’s durability, saying, "Maybe it wasn't so impressive, but Waldo is a fcking tough motherfcker," and added, "Nobody can finish him. I knocked him down in the second round, but he was so accurate with his strikes. I learned the lesson in 2018 when Derrick Lewis did the same and caught me at the very end of the fight."
That past setback still weighs on him. "It's flashbacks every time," Volkov said. "I just keep telling myself, 'Be focused, be accurate until the end – move, don't relax, don't feel like you can beat him.'"
Despite his surge toward the top, Volkov was candid about his nerves. "I'm so scared to fight for the title, honestly," he admitted, later adding, "(Cortes-Acosta) is so big, so huge, so talented. I don't know what I'm doing here in the top two, honestly. It's so hard to be there. … I was in my room today. I didn't want to go out. I hid in my closet and coach couldn't find me. I almost missed the bus to the arena."
