Alexander Volkov Opens Up on Nearly Retiring After UFC 310 Fight With Ciryl Gane
Alexander Volkov nearly walked away from MMA entirely before rebuilding his current win streak ahead of tonight's UFC 333 clash against Rizvan Kuniev.
Heavyweight veteran Alexander Volkov is preparing for the 52nd fight of his career tonight at UFC 333 against No. 5-ranked Rizvan Kuniev, but the 38-year-old recently revealed he nearly walked away from the sport entirely after his decision loss to Ciryl Gane at UFC 310.
Alexander Volkov Says He Decided His Career Was Over After Second Ciryl Gane Loss
Volkov is riding a two-fight winning streak after securing a split decision over Jailton Almeida at UFC 321 and a unanimous decision against Waldo Cortes-Acosta at UFC 328 on May 9. However, he struggled to find motivation after a controversial split-decision loss to Ciryl Gane in their December 2024 rematch at UFC 310 in Las Vegas.
It was a sequel to their first meeting in 2021, which Gane won by unanimous decision. Two of the three judges scored the rematch for Gane, though Dana White apologized to Volkov afterward and stated he believed the Russian had won.
A new MMA documentary highlights how "Drago" handled the aftermath of that loss. In the video, Volkov admits he seriously considered retiring and walked away from the gym for more than four months due to mental frustration.
"There was an inner decision that my career was over," Volkov said. "I didn't train for more than four months after the second fight with Gane."
He eventually discussed his future with his family and manager before deciding to step back into the Octagon. He returned to training camp shortly after and put the retirement thoughts behind him to rebuild his current win streak.
Before UFC 321, Volkov publicly told reporters he only felt upset about the loss for a day or two before returning to training. However, the four-month gym absence revealed in the documentary shows his mental recovery took much longer.
The loss to Gane stalled Volkov's career momentum and cost him an immediate heavyweight title shot. Instead, the UFC booked him against Almeida. Volkov has not lost a fight since that setback. At 38 years old, a victory over Kuniev on Saturday night would move Volkov another step closer to a heavyweight title opportunity.
However, Kuniev represents a tough challenge for the veteran contender. He also brought a playful mental edge to the matchup by gifting Volkov a red birthday cake featuring a custom "40-12" record prediction. It remains to be seen how the joke ages once both heavyweights collide inside the Octagon.
