Alexander Volkov reportedly signs up for another title eliminator due to Tom Aspinall delays

A new report claims that Alexander Volkov may be heading back to the Octagon in May.

When Volkov got his hand raised against Jailton Almeida in October, he believed that he’d just sealed his first shot at UFC gold.

The chances of this being his next fight suddenly took a huge hit later on in the night due to the unfortunate ending to the heavyweight title fight that headlined UFC 321.

Tom Aspinall may have joined forces with Eddie Hearn for the next stage of his career but the Russian contender looks to be taking matters into his own hands.

Alexander Volkov has reportedly signed to fight Waldo Cortes-Acosta at UFC 328

With no timeline in place for when Tom Aspinall will face Ciryl Gane in a rematch, Alexander Volkov has seemingly made the decision to further cement his status as the man who will face the winner.

A report from Leo Walker Guimaraes on X claims that ‘Drago’ has signed a contract to take on Waldo Cortes-Acosta at UFC 328 on May 9.

Cortes-Acosta stopped Derrick Lewis earlier this year to continue a run that has seen him emerge as the heavyweight division’s other title contender.

Guimaraes didn’t specifically report that the fight is a done deal at this stage, but given how active ‘Salsa Boy’ has tried to be inside the Octagon, this matchup makes a lot of sense.

Dana White’s reaction to Volkov’s controversial loss to Gane in 2024 led many to question whether he should’ve been the one facing Aspinall last October.

His win over Jailton Almeida, who is no longer signed to the promotion, wasn’t the most impressive victory, which could’ve allowed Cortes-Acosta to overtake him in the title picture if the Russian chose to sit out.