#2 Heavyweight
Russia

« Drago »

Alexander Volkov Record, stats and next fight

41-11-0 (W-L-D)

24Wins by knockout

4Wins by submission

17First round finishes

Portrait de Alexander Volkov, combattant de MMA — Photo : Sexto Round, CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Stats and record

52Pro fights

68%Finish rate

20UFC fights

3Title fights

3Performance bonuses

3Win streak

Wins by method

KO / TKO24 (59 %)

Submission4 (10 %)

Decision13 (32 %)

Losses by method

KO / TKO2 (18 %)

Submission3 (27 %)

Decision6 (55 %)

Profile

Age: 38 years
Born: October 24, 1988
Birthplace: Moscow, Soviet Union
Height: 6'7" (201 cm)
Weight: 258 lbs (117 kg)
Reach: 80" (203 cm)
Division: Heavyweight
Fighting out of: Moscow, Russia
Team: Strela Team
Trainer: Taras Kiyashko
UFC debut: November 19, 2016

Fight history

Win

vs Rizvan Kuniev

UFC 333 · Oct 24, 2026 · Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Win

vs Waldo Cortes-Acosta

UFC 328 · May 9, 2026 · Newark, New Jersey, United States

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Win

vs Jailton Almeida

UFC 321 · Oct 25, 2025 · Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Method
Decision (split)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Loss

vs Ciryl Gane

UFC 310 · Dec 7, 2024 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Method
Decision (split)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Win

vs Sergei Pavlovich

UFC on ABC: Whittaker vs. Aliskerov · Jun 22, 2024 · Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Win

vs Tai Tuivasa

UFC 293 · Sep 10, 2023 · Sydney, Australia

Method
Submission (Ezekiel choke)

Round
2

Time
4:37
Win

vs Alexander Romanov

UFC Fight Night: Yan vs. Dvalishvili · Mar 11, 2023 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
1

Time
2:16
Win

vs Jairzinho Rozenstruik

UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Rozenstruik · Jun 4, 2022 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
1

Time
2:12

Show 44 earlier fights

Loss

vs Tom Aspinall

UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Aspinall · Mar 19, 2022 · London, England

Method
Submission (straight armbar)

Round
1

Time
3:45
Win

vs Marcin Tybura

UFC 267 · Oct 30, 2021 · Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Loss

vs Ciryl Gane

UFC Fight Night: Gane vs. Volkov · Jun 26, 2021 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
5

Time
5:00
Win

vs Alistair Overeem Bonus

UFC Fight Night: Overeem vs. Volkov · Feb 6, 2021 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
2

Time
2:06
Win

vs Walt Harris

UFC 254 · Oct 24, 2020 · Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Method
TKO (body kick and punches)

Round
2

Time
1:15
Loss

vs Curtis Blaydes

UFC on ESPN: Blaydes vs. Volkov · Jun 20, 2020 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
5

Time
5:00
Win

vs Greg Hardy

UFC Fight Night: Magomedsharipov vs. Kattar · Nov 9, 2019 · Moscow, Russia

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Loss

vs Derrick Lewis

UFC 229 · Oct 6, 2018 · Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

Method
KO (punches)

Round
3

Time
4:49
Win

vs Fabrício Werdum Bonus

UFC Fight Night: Werdum vs. Volkov · Mar 17, 2018 · London, England

Method
KO (punches)

Round
4

Time
1:38
Win

vs Stefan Struve Bonus

UFC Fight Night: Volkov vs. Struve · Sep 2, 2017 · Rotterdam, Netherlands

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
3

Time
3:30
Win

vs Roy Nelson

UFC on Fox: Johnson vs. Reis · Apr 15, 2017 · Kansas City, Missouri, United States

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Win

vs Timothy Johnson

UFC Fight Night: Mousasi vs. Hall 2 · Nov 19, 2016 · Belfast, Northern Ireland

Method
Decision (split)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Win

vs Attila Végh Title

M-1 Challenge 68 · Jun 16, 2016 · Moscow, Russia

Method
KO (punches)

Round
1

Time
2:38
Win

vs Denis Smoldarev Title

M-1 Challenge 64 · Feb 19, 2016 · Moscow, Russia

Method
Submission (triangle choke)

Round
3

Time
0:41
Loss

vs Cheick Kongo

Bellator 139 · Jun 26, 2015 · Mulvane, Kansas, United States

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Loss

vs Tony Johnson

Bellator 136 · Apr 10, 2015 · Irvine, California, United States

Method
Decision (split)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Win

vs Alexei Kudin

Union MMA Pro 2015 · Feb 21, 2015 · Krasnodar, Russia

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Win

vs Roy Boughton

Tech-KREP FC: Battle of Heroes · Dec 12, 2014 · Saint Petersburg, Russia

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
1

Time
0:40
Win

vs Blagoy Ivanov

Bellator 120 · May 17, 2014 · Southaven, Mississippi, United States

Method
Submission (rear-naked choke)

Round
2

Time
1:08
Win

vs Mighty Mo

Bellator 116 · Apr 11, 2014 · Temecula, California, United States

Method
KO (head kick)

Round
1

Time
2:44
Win

vs Mark Holata

Bellator 111 · Mar 7, 2014 · Thackerville, Oklahoma, United States

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
1

Time
1:21
Loss

vs Vitaly Minakov

Bellator 108 · Nov 15, 2013 · Atlantic City, New Jersey, United States

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
1

Time
2:57
Win

vs Rich Hale Title

Bellator 84 · Dec 14, 2012 · Hammond, Indiana, United States

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
5

Time
5:00
Win

vs Vinicius Queiroz

Bellator 80 · Nov 9, 2012 · Hollywood, Florida, United States

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
2

Time
4:59
Win

vs Brett Rogers

Bellator 75 · Oct 5, 2012 · Hammond, Indiana, United States

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Win

vs Stefan Stankovic

MFP: Mayor Cup 2012 · May 26, 2012 · Khabarovsk, Russia

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
1

Time
4:27
Win

vs Ricco Rodriguez

BF: Baltic Challenge 3 · Feb 23, 2012 · Kaliningrad, Russia

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Win

vs Arsen Abdulkerimov

M-1 Global: Fedor vs. Monson · Nov 20, 2011 · Moscow, Russia

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
1

Time
0:26
Win

vs Bahodir Ibrogimov

MMA Corona Cup 1 · Oct 7, 2011 · Moscow, Russia

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
2

Time
2:22
Win

vs Nedyalko Karadzhov

League S-70: Russia vs. Brazil · Aug 5, 2011 · Sochi, Russia

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
1

Time
2:41
Win

vs Denis Goltsov

M-1 Challenge 25 · Apr 28, 2011 · Saint Petersburg, Russia

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
2

Time
3:05
Win

vs Ruslan Chapko

Voronezh Interregional 2011 · Jan 15, 2011 · Voronezh, Russia

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
1

Time
N/A
Loss

vs Pat Bennett

M-1 Challenge 22 · Dec 10, 2010 · Moscow, Russia

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
4

Time
5:00
Win

vs Evgeni Babich

LM: Tournament 3 · Sep 18, 2010 · Lipetsk, Russia

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
1

Time
2:10
Win

vs Eldar Yagudin

Ratnoe Pole: The First Battlefield · Aug 7, 2010 · Ryazan, Russia

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
1

Time
4:34
Loss

vs Maxim Grishin

M-1 Selection: 2010 Eastern Europe Finals · Jul 22, 2010 · Moscow, Russia

Method
Submission (rear-naked choke)

Round
1

Time
2:39
Win

vs Alexander Romaschenko

M-1 Selection: 2010 Eastern Europe Round 3 · May 28, 2010 · Kyiv, Ukraine

Method
Submission (rear-naked choke)

Round
1

Time
2:59
Win

vs Vitalii Yalovenko

M-1 Selection: 2010 Eastern Europe Round 2 · Apr 10, 2010 · Kyiv, Ukraine

Method
TKO (doctor stoppage)

Round
2

Time
1:05
Win

vs Ibragim Magomedov

M-1 Challenge 20: 2009 Finals · Dec 3, 2009 · Saint Petersburg, Russia

Method
Decision (unanimous)

Round
3

Time
5:00
Win

vs Smbat Zakaryan

ProFC: Union Nation Cup 3 · Oct 30, 2009 · Rostov-on-Don, Russia

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
1

Time
4:20
Win

vs Abdulhalik Magomedov

M-1 Challenge: 2009 Selections 8 · Oct 4, 2009 · Moscow, Russia

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
1

Time
4:43
Loss

vs Akhmed Sultanov

M-1 Challenge: 2009 Selections 4 · Jun 24, 2009 · Saint Petersburg, Russia

Method
Submission (armbar)

Round
1

Time
2:50
Win

vs Adam Alikhanov

M-1 Challenge: 2009 Selections 3 · May 28, 2009 · Saint Petersburg, Russia

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
1

Time
0:20
Win

vs Nikolay Pleshakov

M-1 Challenge: 2009 Selections 2 · Apr 19, 2009 · Saint Petersburg, Russia

Method
TKO (punches)

Round
1

Time
1:20

Analysis

Alexander Volkov, nicknamed Drago, is a Russian fighter competing in the UFC heavyweight division. With a large frame and imposing reach, he has stood for years among the division’s most consistent technical strikers.

Career

Born on October 24, 1988, in Moscow, Soviet Union, Alexander Volkov trains with Strela Team. He began his professional career in Russia before establishing himself on the international scene. He won the M-1 Global heavyweight title in 2016, with one title defense, then captured the Bellator heavyweight belt from December 2012 to November 2013, confirming his status as a serious contender before his UFC debut. This dual experience as champion, first on the Russian scene and then in a North American organization like Bellator, gave him rare exposure to varied fighting styles even before his UFC career began.

UFC Career

Volkov has settled durably near the top of the UFC heavyweight rankings thanks to a patient, technical striking style built on steady body kicks. He lost to Ciryl Gane by split decision at UFC 310 in December 2024, before beating Jailton Almeida by split decision at UFC 321 in October 2025. He followed that with a unanimous decision win over Waldo Cortes Acosta at UFC 328 in May 2026. A bout against Rizvan Kuniev is scheduled for UFC 333 in October 2026. This back-and-forth of wins and losses against opponents ranked among the world’s best heavyweights illustrates Volkov’s consistency, as he has managed to stay near the top of the division for nearly a decade without ever truly falling out of it for long.

Fighting Style

At 6’7″ (201 cm) with a 6’8″ (203 cm) reach, Alexander Volkov makes full use of his frame to keep opponents at distance. His footwork and body kicks let him wear opponents down over time, while his jab and boxing combinations round out a patient style that favors precision over risk-taking. This technical approach explains a record dominated by decisions and KOs built up gradually, unlike more explosive finishers in the UFC such as Shavkat Rakhmonov or Ilia Topuria, and his profile has more in common with a strategist like Islam Makhachev. His command of distance, powered by a reach of over six and a half feet, lets him limit close-range exchanges against shorter strikers, a particularly valuable asset in a division where striking power often proves decisive from the first round.

Record

Record: 40 wins, 11 losses
Wins by KO or TKO: 24
Wins by submission: 4
Wins by decision: 12
Titles: M-1 Global heavyweight champion in 2016, Bellator heavyweight champion from December 2012 to November 2013

Fighter Profile

Full name: Alexander Yevgenyevich Volkov
Nickname: Drago
Born: October 24, 1988, in Moscow, Soviet Union
Nationality: Russian
Height: 6’7″ (201 cm)
Weight: 258 lbs (117 kg)
Reach: 6’8″ (203 cm)
Division: Heavyweight
Team: Strela Team
Base: Boxing and kickboxing

Sources

en.wikipedia.org

Data updated on October 28, 2026. Record and measurements cross-checked against official results and Wikipedia. Text written by the MMA Official editorial team.

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