Rumors of a fight between Alexander Volkov and Jailton Almeida are circulating, but Volkov has publicly downplayed the possibility. The UFC heavyweight contender addressed speculation on social media regarding a potential matchup with Almeida at a UFC event in Atlanta on June 14, as suggested by MMA reporter Léo Guimaraes.
Volkov, currently ranked No. 3 in the UFC heavyweight division, is positioned higher than Almeida, who sits at No. 6. Volkov argues that a fight between them doesn`t align with their respective rankings.
Guilherme Cruz of MMA Fighting confirmed that while Almeida`s camp is interested in booking the fight, Volkov`s team has not yet agreed to the matchup.
Almeida responded to Volkov`s comments on social media, making his desire to fight Volkov very clear.
“I already said yes to the UFC,” Almeida stated. “And you, Volkov? June 14, Atlanta, Georgia. I just want to fight. This talk about ranking positions doesn`t make sense. You are avoiding fighting me, and you are coming off a loss. This is the most logical fight available.”
Almeida is on a two-fight winning streak, securing first-round finishes against Serghei Spivac and Alexander Romanov. He highlighted that Volkov is coming off a recent defeat to Ciryl Gane, which ended Volkov`s previous winning streak.
Almeida further suggested that if Volkov is unwilling to defend his ranking spot against him, he should lose his higher position.
He elaborated, arguing against the idea that fighting him wouldn`t benefit Volkov`s ranking: “It doesn`t make sense to say beating me won’t improve his ranking. Curtis Blaydes fought for the title after beating me. Everyone knows I am a tough fight, so if Volkov defeats me, he’s in title contention. The real question is: Does Volkov believe he can beat me?”
Almeida concluded by advocating for a system to penalize fighters who decline fights, suggesting that if Volkov refuses to fight, Almeida should be promoted to Volkov`s ranking.
#3 Almeida
#6 Volkov
