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 event
UFC 333 pre-fight press conference in Abu Dhabi and asked White what he needed to do to earn the championship. The exchange raised questions about whether White recognized the veteran heavyweight. White insists he did, but Volkov isn’t convinced.
Alexander Volkov questions Dana White’s response after confronting him at the UFC 333 press conference
Volkov claimed that White might confuse his name with that of the featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovsky. But “Drago” said the recognition is less important to him than getting an answer about his title prospects.
“Of course he didn’t recognize me,” Volkov told Ariel Helwan. “First of all, I’m a Russian fighter; I’m not even sure he remembers my name, and I bet every time he hears my name, he thinks they’re talking about Alexander Volkanovsky. But that’s fine; there’s over 500 fighters on the roster, so he doesn’t have to recognize every fighter. But seriously, he didn’t answer my question, what should I do? should do to get a title shot, and they don’t have an answer.
Volkov has long been a heavyweight contender. The 6-foot-6 Russian’s most recent defeat was a contested decision against the reigning champion Cyril Gane
in 2024. Since then, he has won three straight fights, most recently by knockout Rizvan Kuniev at UFC 333.
Alexander Volkov explains why he showed up at the UFC 333 presser and is still convinced that Dana White didn’t recognize him: “I saw that I wasn’t at 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 I didn’t remember that I didn’t even recognize me… Of course I didn’t even remember my name… he hears my name, he thinks they are talking Alexander Volkanovsky. But seriously, he still didn’t have an answer to my question. I ask what should I do? What do I have to do to get into the title fight? And they don’t have an answer.”
— Ariel Helwani (@arielhelwani)
October 28, 2026
