Alexander Volkov Still Having Fun After All These Years

The now 37-year-old standout relocated to the desert MMA haven a of couple years ago, pointing to the quality team at Porrada Training Center he’s aligned himself with and the availability of the UFC Performance Institute as key factors in his decision to set up shop in Las Vegas full-time.

“The drive to practice is short, everything is very close,” said Volkov, touching on more of the positives about his adopted hometown. “I have everything for my work, everything is good, and my wife and kids like this place. In Vegas, we have a really big Russian community, so I feel pretty comfortable there.”

And being comfortable has allowed the Top 10 mainstay to let his hair down, literally and figuratively.

UFC 321 Full Fight Card Preview

Now sporting shoulder-length locks, the heavyweight veteran feels more at ease than in past interviews. Some of that is surely down to the fact that his English has continued to become stronger and he’s able to confidently express himself in his second language more than before, but there is also something just more relaxed about the heavyweight standout.

It’s almost as if the last 10 months — from the time of his debated split decision loss to Ciryl Gane last year at UFC 310 to now — have provided him with a chance to step back, do some things he’s wanted to do for himself, and enjoy the less serious side of life a little more.

Along with returning home to Russia for a vacation and touring around parts of the United States, Volkov has spent the time between his last appearance and this weekend’s clash with Almeida putting on the gi and competing in jiu jitsu competitions, spinning around his neighborhood on a friend’s motorcycle, and deciding that there was a better “mid-life crisis” mode of transportation that felt like a better choice.

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“As a middle-aged guy, I wanted to try this bike one day,” Volkov said with a smile. “I’m not a biker, but I tried, and after I tried, I said to myself, ‘It’s not (for me); it’s too dangerous.’ I don’t feel comfortable on a bike, so the next week, I bought a convertible Mustang.”

In addition to having fun, Volkov has spent some time reflecting on his career, which began all the way back in 2009 and has thus far yielded a 38-11 professional record, making Saturday’s bout at UFC 321 a milestone appearance.

“It means I’m getting old!” he joked when asked about stepping into the Octagon for his 50th professional appearance. “It’s kind of a big number; we’ll see if I can reach 10 more.

“I’m really proud of myself with this,” continued Volkov, offering a more earnest reflection on the achievement and what it means to him. “I spent a big part of my career in the UFC, and going back to the time when I was young, that was a really big dream. Now I’m here as a veteran of the UFC. It’s hard to understand from the outside, as fans, but it’s just a big dream.

“Sometimes I feel like it’s just a normal life, nothing is special with me, but it’s a lot of special things,” he added, articulating a feeling and sensation familiar to many with unconventional jobs, myself very much included. “To be here for a long time, to be on top is a special thing, so I try to be proud of myself for this.”

FULL FIGHTS: Gane vs Volkov 2 | Aspinall vs Blaydes 2

As he should, because as much as we always talk about heavyweights having a longer shelf life than their contemporaries in the lighter weight classic, Volkov has been competing at a high level for well over a dozen years now, constantly facing off with the best the sport has to offer, and coming away on the positive side of things far more frequently than not.

Less than a month shy of the 10-year anniversary of his UFC debut, Volkov is closer to challenging for the heavyweight title now than he has been at any other point in his career, and like everyone else, he is deeply interested in seeing how things play out in Saturday night’s championship main event.

“It’s a new time, new era for UFC heavyweights after old champs like Stipe Miocic retired, Jon Jones retired, so it’s a new era,” offered Volkov, who has faced off with both the champion Tom Aspinall and challenger Ciryl Gane in the past. “Something will change after this fight, so it’s interesting what happens in this fight because something different automatically will happen (in the division).