Aljamain Sterling Calls Out UFC and Dana White for Snubbing Alexander Volkov Despite Insane Resume

Former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling is not holding back his frustration with how the UFC operates, taking direct aim at Chief Executive Officer Dana White over the title picture in the heavyweight division. Sterling publicly called out the promotion for repeatedly bypassing longtime contender Alexander Volkov, despite the Russian giant compiling one of the most impressive divisional runs in recent memory.

Sterling reacted on social media to Volkov’s recent body of work, pointing out the absolute absurdity of the veteran’s long path toward a championship opportunity. Following a controversial split-decision defeat against Ciryl Gane at UFC 310 in December 2024, a fight many fans and analysts felt Volkov clearly won,

White suggested behind the scenes that he would make things right. Instead of receiving a championship nod, Volkov was forced to fight his way back through the grueling heavyweight rankings, racking up three consecutive victories while title promises completely faded away.

"Imagine winning a fight, that the judges say you lost. Dana comes and says he’ll make it right. Then you have to fight 3 more times and still no title shot," Sterling posted on X. "Wild. This isn’t sport. It’s about entertainment. The times have changed."

An Insane Resume Ignored

The official UFC statistics back up Sterling’s outrage. Alexander Volkov has quietly won seven of his last eight Octagon appearances, building a formidable professional record of 41-11. His recent stretch includes dominant performances over top-tier heavyweights Alexandr Romanov, Tai Tuivasa, Sergei Pavlovich, Jailton Almeida, Waldo Cortes-Acosta, and most recently Rizvan Kuniev at UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi.

Despite that stacked resume, Volkov was once again left off the main stage during the UFC 333 pre-fight press conference. The snub prompted the 38-year-old contender to walk in through regular arena fan gates and press White directly from the media crowd regarding his missing title opportunity. Volkov even joked that White probably confuses him with featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski whenever his name is mentioned. For Sterling and many fight fans, Volkov’s current predicament perfectly highlights how promotion entertainment value now routinely trumps pure athletic merit inside modern mixed martial arts.