Latest news with #Volkov
USA Today
17-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UFC 321 books Alexander Volkov vs. Jailton Almeida, a key heavyweight showdown
A potential title eliminator bout in the UFC's heavyweight division has finally been booked after months of discussion. Top contenders Alexander Volkov and Jailton Almeida are finally set to fight at UFC 321. The event takes place Oct. 26 at Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. Two people with knowledge of the matchup recently informed MMA Junkie of the booking but asked to remain anonymous as the promotion has yet to make an official announcement. first reported the booking. Both Volkov (38-11 MMA, 12- UFC) and Almeida (13-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC) recently expressed interest in fighting one another in interviews with MMA Junkie. Almeida claimed Volkov turned him down for a June clash in Atlanta – something Volkov didn't deny. Volkov said his declination came because he wanted a break from competition after a controversial loss to Gane in December. The defeat to Gane snapped a four-fight winning streak for Volkov, who could've aligned himself in prime position for a title shot had he won. As for Almeida, he's won back-to-back fights over Alexandr Romanov and Serghei Spivac since his TKO loss to Curtis Blaydes in March 2024. Almeida is 5-1 with four finishes since he moved to heavyweight in late 2022. With the addition, the UFC 321 lineup includes:
USA Today
10-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Alexander Volkov weighs in on UFC title fight between Tom Aspinall and Ciryl Gane
Alexander Volkov will have his eyes peeled for the expected next UFC heavyweight title fight. All signs are pointing to Tom Aspinall's first title defense since getting promoted to UFC heavyweight champion to be against Ciryl Gane (13-2 MMA, 10-2 UFC). Having fought both fighters, top contender Volkov (38-11 MMA, 12-5 UFC) gave his take on the matchup. "(The fight is) 50-50, I think," Volkov told MMA Junkie. "Both of them are good, and Ciryl Gane, he's really good with his movement, with his legs and everything. He's not so bad at grappling now. He started working a lot on his grappling and his ground skills, so I think it's 50-50. "It depends how the fight starts, how both of them will be prepared for this fight. I saw that Gane will be motivated a lot for this fight to get the belt. It's 50-50, but on paper, when I fought both of them, Tom Aspinall looks better. But in the fight, it could go any way." Volkov faced Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) in the UFC Fight Night 204 headliner in March 2022, losing by first-round submission. He then went on a four-fight winning streak until dropping a controversial split decision to Gane in his most recent outing at UFC 310 this past December.
USA Today
09-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Alexander Volkov explains where he's been, weighs options in new UFC heavyweight landscape
Alexander Volkov needed a break, so he took one. But now, his time away from competition is coming to an end. With the UFC heavyweight divisional landscape much different than it was when he fought in December, Volkov (38-11 MMA, 12-5 UFC) is eying a fall return. "Everything is good," Volkov told MMA Junkie on Tuesday. "I just took a small break for myself. I trained and competed in grappling and then I decided to take a break and vacation for myself. I visited Russian, which is my home. Now, I've come back and I'm ready to prepare for my new fight. ... Now, we know Jon Jones retired and things moved on. Maybe it's time to come back, to have a good fight, and maybe after, fight for the belt." Volkov, like many viewers, still doesn't agree with the judges' decision that cost him his UFC 310 bout vs. Ciryl Gane in December. The fight was highly controversial, with Dana White telling Volkov, "You got f*cked" when referring to the decision. But with that said, Volkov found growth in the moment. He admitted he may have become complacent had he won. Instead, he became more determined than ever. "I have no problem with it right now," Volkov said. "Emotionally, I had bad feelings from the fight. I did a lot. I trained a lot. It was a really hard camp for me. I had some injuries. I had some of my own problems, a lot of things. It was a rematch for me. It was in Las Vegas, where I live now. A lot of things put me in a bad position to lose here. After, I just stopped thinking about what I could do better this fight, what I should do better. ... I think I did a good job, a good fight with him. For myself, I won. "It's a (fact) of course who won for real. But for myself, I won. I got better in this fight. For sure, this fight gave me more opportunity to grow up, after this loss. Because if I won, I would've thought everything was good, everything was OK. 'I'm not needing to train any more. I'm ready for the best of the best.' But now, after losing, I started thinking about myself in a different way, how to learn more, and how to get better. I'm not worried about this loss any more." With Jon Jones retired and Tom Aspinall the undisputed champion, Volkov isn't totally sure where he fits into the heavyweight puzzle. He confirmed a matchup vs. Jailton Almeida was discussed multiple times with the UFC, but indicated he's warmed up to the idea, should the promotion not offer him a title shot. "I could fight for the title any time the UFC asks me to fight," Volkov said. "I'm ready for it 100 percent. But the decision is made by another person, not me. This is why I think I don't want to say I need to wait or something, because it's a bad position also. After my loss, I don't have a good position to say I want to fight for the title or the belt. I understand this sport. I have my last fight as a loss in my stats. I should go out first and maybe have one fight and go to the title then. I don't know who it should be. Maybe you can help me because I hear a lot about Almeida as well. Maybe him, maybe another fighter. ... Maybe it makes sense to fight with him because we're contenders for the belt. Now, it looks like an interesting fight for me." Curtis Blaydes is another fighter who has called for a fight vs. Volkov. The two faced off in June 2020 and Blaydes won by unanimous decision. Volkov wouldn't mind trying to get that one back. One way or another, Volkov said he hopes to return in October or November and fight for the title by early 2026. "If they speak about title fight, I could fight any time they ask me. If they speak about a regular fight for me, I'll fight after maybe October. So October or November is OK. ... I could fight with Curtis, as well. Curtis fought Almeida if I remember (correctly). It's a really good match for me and rematch as well for me. It's a good match, also. It should be possible as well. I think I need to think about it: Almeida, Blaydes. Both of them are really similar-style fighters. Both of them will use grappling and wrestling skills with me. It's really similar, Almeida to Blaydes. Blaydes is more interesting because I lose to him before in a very close fight. It'll be a really good chance to get him back, this loss. I like most of them. We'll see. For sure, I would prefer if UFC would tell me it was a mistake my last fight and give me a title shot. But October or November, I could fight with anybody." Should Volkov earn that crack at gold and should Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) still be the one to hold the title, it would be a rematch of their March 2022 bout. Aspinall defeated Volkov by submission inside one round. Volkov isn't sure exactly how the second fight would be different, but he's enthralled by the process of trying to figure it out. "Yes, it's a really good question," Volkov said. "It's a really good question for me, as well. I need to be more ... in this fight. It's hard to say. Because the first fight, I wasn't really serious with it because of many things happening in the world at this time. Now, I changed my game, my location with leaving my training partners and coaches. Everything is different and I showed progress after. I believe if I sit with his videos, watch all his videos and see his moves, I could win this fight."
USA Today
23-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Jailton Almeida would happily accept UFC title shot, but really wants Alexander Volkov
Jon Jones' retirement and Tom Aspinall's undisputed crowning sent shockwaves through the combat sports world, but the news meant more to Jailton Almeida than pretty much everyone. With the divisional fog that's loomed over the heavyweight division for nearly two years finally lifted, Almeida (22-3 MMA, 8-1 UFC) is on the shortlist of fighters in the discussion for Aspinall (15-3 MMA, 2-1 UFC). "I'm happy with the news," Almeida told MMA Junkie on Monday through a Portuguese language interpreter. "The division is finally going to move. That's a great thing. I am a little surprised about how things went about. Dana White just giving us the information at a press conference is a little weird for the size of Jon Jones and everything he represents. To get the news like that, that he's retiring, is a little surprising. But I can't complain. On my side, I can't complain, I might finally get a chance to move forward." Almeida has been in limbo since his win over Serghei Spivac in January. He confirmed the UFC offered him a June 14 bout vs. Alexander Volkov, but the Russian heavyweight could not take it. The promotion then pointed to sometime in the fall, but now Almeida said he's unsure about that, too. "It's not looking like it's happening either," Almeida said. "I've just been focusing on working on myself, working on my game and helping all my training partners. ... We're still waiting because that's a fight that I think moves me forward and toward our goal. But if it's Volkov, if it's Gane, if it's Aspinall, I'm training and getting better and getting ready for whatever comes next. Maybe I'll be a reserve for a title fight if they don't give it to me. Who knows? The original fight was supposed to be Volkov and that's a fight that I really want. But if it's not going to happen, there's nothing to do about it and I just move forward. We have to move forward." Almeida, Volkov (38-11 MMA, 12-5 UFC), and former interim champion Ciryl Gane are the three names fight fans have repeatedly brought up since Saturday's crowning of Aspinall. Gane and Volkov most recently appeared against one another in December when Gane won a controversial split decision. While UFC CEO Dana White has declined to reveal the promotion's lean in terms of Aspinall's first fight as undisputed champion, the promotion announced Nassourdine Imavov vs. Caio Borralho as a main event for its return to Paris in September. Given Gane's popularity and history as a Paris headliner, that could indicate the Frenchman is next for the British champion. Though Almeida acknowledges the "best case scenario" of a title shot is unlikely, he remains firm that he is the most difficult test in the division for Aspinall, who typically holds a significant grappling advantage over his opponents. "Looking at the current scene, Volkov as much as the win was controversial for Gane, had Volkov won, maybe he'd be in title conversations," Almeida said. "But coming off a loss, even if it was a robbery, you can't having a guy coming off a loss fighting for the title right away, unless he's a huge name, which is unfortunately not the case for him. Then, we've got Gane who is coming off a (win) that is controversial and who has already fought for the title a couple times. He was successful in the interim, I think. He's probably the strongest name of the people who are on the run. He's already been there. He's done it. He hasn't been super successful, so I think I'm the most interesting fight to make at this moment. I'm coming off two good wins and I got a bonus in my last one. I haven't fought for a title and I haven't fought Aspinall. Everything considered, I think I have to be the best option for them unless they are really stuck on having to do something with Gane. I think right now, I'm what the division needs." Until clarity comes, Almeida said he'll continue to be in the gym, as he helps training partners Samuel Sanches and Felipe Franco prepare for their Sept. 9 bouts on Dana White's Contender Series. When the phone rings, Almeida said he'll be ready. If it's Volkov next, Almeida will be content. If it's Aspinall, he thinks he'll prove to the world who the best heavyweight is. "Aspinall is an extremely talented fighter," Almeida said. "We've seen him grapple. We've seen him boxing. Everything is very on point with him. He's one of the best that is out there. We haven't seen him deal with pressure. I think now with Volkov, he did a little, maybe. But he wasn't able to get through with it. I think if anybody is going to be able to do it, it's going to be me. I believe I can neutralize him. Once I have control of him, I can put pressure and possibly even get a finish. I'd work really hard toward that because that's my style. As talented as he is, we have to still see how good his defensive side is. If it's not up to par, then I can probably get a finish either by strikes or by submission. "There's only one way for us to find out and that's to match the fight. That's the thing. If I do get a title fight, you can expect me to be fighting for my life. I'll give everything I have and more to get out of there with the title. This is a long dream of mine and if I do get the opportunity from the UFC, I can guarantee they're going to be happy with what they get."
CNBC
16-06-2025
- Business
- CNBC
Couple bought an abandoned house in Vancouver for a $1.5 million, has spent over $250,000 renovating so far—take a look inside
In 2023, Nick Volkov came across a listing for a property in Vancouver, British Columbia, and knew immediately that he had to show his girlfriend, Jenna. Though the listing shared photos of just the exterior and described the house as a "tear-down," the 28-year-old program manager tells CNBC Make It that what stood out the most was that the property was priced much lower than those in the surrounding area. Plus, it had a view of the water, and wasn't your standard modern home. Jenna Phipps, a 29-year-old content creator, says she fell in love, but wanted to get out to see the house in person as soon as possible. "There was a reason they didn't show photos of the inside," she says. The Vancouver property is a 2,757-square-foot single-family home, built in 1961. It had three bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms, a pool, and sits on 0.30 acres. The house was so dilapidated that the realtor asked the couple to sign a waiver before going inside. "You can really see this property had not been cared for at all," Volkov says. "There was a really musty smell with the old furniture and old things in there." Still, the couple were able to find some beauty in the space. "The architecture showed through all of that. You could see what it was in its former days," Volkov says. "Even with it falling apart, it was still really pretty." The couple made an offer of $2.1 million CAD — $1,525,923 USD at the time — and it was accepted. They closed on the property in January 2024. "People were very shocked at how we were able to get that price, especially in that area," Phipps says. "We kind of bought the worst thing in a great neighborhood." The median list price of homes in Vancouver was $1,578,540 in March 2024, according to Houseful, a subsidiary of the Royal Bank of Canada. The property's rundown condition meant Volkov and Phipps were unable to obtain a traditional mortgage and had to apply for a private two-year loan instead. They split the 20% down payment evenly. When Phipps and Volkov took possession of the house, it had been empty for four years and was deteriorating. The seller lived several hours away and would rarely visit. "It was in a state that probably no one should have lived there," Phipps says. When the couple closed on the house in 2024, their first order of business was clearing it out. They had hopes of preserving some of the structure's original features, like the wood paneling, but ended up having to take the house down to the studs. There was extensive water damage and mold that had grown over the years that the house was abandoned. That summer, Volkov and Phipps worked to get rid of the roof, windows, ducting, and electrical. In October, the couple hired contractors to help rebuild the roof and frame of the house. "We're pretty much at the stage where it feels like a real home," she says. The couple did most of the work on their new home themselves. They would work six days at the house from 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. while documenting the journey for Phipps' YouTube channel. On Sundays, they would spend most of the day working on content creation. "We work really hard because we want to keep showing videos and showing a process to everyone," Phipps says. "Having that support from so many people cheering us on, I think that was great accountability, too." Phipps says the renovation process has been hard, but even just getting windows installed helped them picture what life will be like once they can finally move in. "For a while over the winter, it was mentally challenging and now we're finally at that exciting stage where we actually see it. I think we're finally enjoying all this hard work we put in." The couple will pay homage to the original space by having some of the wood paneling details restored. "We look at the home and we're like 'Wow, this is beautiful.' We have the exact same home but just a new form. We pretty much recreated it," Phipps says. Volkov and Phipps are planning to replicate some of the original furniture that came with the sale of the house, but that they had to get rid of. They also modified the floor plan slightly to make the house a four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bathroom, and kept the exterior the same. The couple had an initial budget of $220,792 USD with a max limit of $294,389. They've since gone over budget and had to readjust. Phipps says they've already spent over $257,590 and is hoping to stay at or under $441,583 going forward. "We chose to go over budget because we're going the extra mile to have a better quality home," she says. "It's obviously not the greatest thing to see higher bills come in, but we're so invested in this project. It's an investment and that's how we're looking at it." The couple plans to transition to a traditional mortgage next January. "We're hoping that it will be at that livable standard so we can get it reevaluated with a traditional bank," Phipps says. "We would love to move in by the end of the year, so we're working very hard to try to still get to that goal." Phipps knew from the very beginning that once it became theirs's, she didn't want to ever sell the house. Now that they've put in a year's worth of work, she's even more adamant about that. "I don't think there would ever be a price tag out there that I would be able to sell it for or at least not anytime soon," she says. "I really want to enjoy the home." 74
