Alexander Volkov suffered what had to be the most frustrating of losses against Curtis Blaydes on Saturday in the UFC on ESPN 11 main event.
Volkov’s (31-8 MMA, 5-2 UFC) wrestling defense failed to hold up against Blaydes’ (14-2 MMA, 9-2 UFC) takedown-heavy approach in the heavyweight headliner at UFC Apex in Las Vegas, as the Russian succumbed to a unanimous decision loss.
It was the first loss of his kind under the UFC banner for Volkov. His only other octagon shortcoming came against Derrick Lewis in an all-time comeback where Volkov was winning until getting knocked out in the final seconds.
Some flaws in Volkov’s game were certainly exposed by Blaydes. The upside for “Drago,” however, is that there aren’t an abundance of names in the division who will attempt to implement that approach. And Walt Harris (13-8 MMA, 6-7 UFC) seems like someone who would be more than willing to exchange on the feet.
So what comes next for Volkov? Watch the video above for thoughts on analysis on his future after UFC on ESPN 11.
