Alexander Volkov: Dana White still has no answer on UFC title shot

Alexander Volkov believes Ultimate Fighting Championship CEO Dana White didn’t recognize him, but he has a more pressing concern: his path to a title shot. Volkov made a surprise appearance at the UFC 333 prefight news conference in Abu Dhabi and asked White what he needed to do to earn a championship opportunity. The exchange prompted questions about whether White recognized the heavyweight veteran. White insists he did, but Volkov remains unconvinced.Alexander Volkov questions Dana White's response after confronting him at the UFC 333 news conference Volkov suggested White might confuse his name with that of featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski. However, “Drago” said recognition matters less to him than getting an answer about his title prospects. “Of course he didn't recognize me,” Volkov told Ariel Helwani. “First of all, I’m a Russian fighter; I'm not even sure he can remember my name and I bet every time he hears my name, he thinks they're talking about Alexander Volkanovski. But it’s fine; there are more than 500 fighters on the roster, so he doesn’t have to recognize every fighter. But to talk seriously, he still didn't have an answer to my question. I'm asking, what should I do? What am I supposed to do to get a title fight? And they don't have an answer.” Volkov has long been a heavyweight contender. The 6-foot-7 Russian’s most recent defeat was a disputed split decision against current champion Ciryl Gane in 2024. He has since won three consecutive fights, most recently outpointing Rizvan Kuniev at UFC 333.Alexander Volkov explains why he showed up to the UFC 333 presser, and is still convinced Dana White did not recognize him: "I saw they didn't have me on the press conference again, the same as the last three fights. I don't know why. I just went through the regular gates like a regular fan... I had some questions for the fighters and Dana White. Of course he didn't recognize me... I'm not even sure he can remember my name, and I bet every time he hears my name, he thinks they're talking about Alexander Volkanovski. But to talk seriously, he still didn't have an answer to my question. I'm asking, what should I do? What am I supposed to do to get a title fight? And they don't have an answer."— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani) October 28, 2026