Despite the fact that he only defended the belt once, Jon Jones has held the UFC heavyweight title for more than two years.
There has been a feeling for some time that the division must continue, regardless of what the plans of the champion are.
The fans have expressed their opinion through a petition for the UFC to strip Jones van de Riem to which 'Bones' is referred to in a recent post on social media.
He is clearly not too worried about what people think about his title line and how this influences the division with interim champion Tom Aspinall that is forced to stay inactive.
Another top heavyweight recently spoke about this when he stated that the surviving between Jones and Aspinall has also negatively influenced his career.
Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Alexander Volkov understands the UFC's decision not to strip Jon Jones, even if it has his career negative
As the #3-ranking competitor in the heavyweight division, are the only names above Alexander Volkov Ciryl Gane, Tom Aspinall and Jon Jones.
Because of the last fight of the Russian, he saw a split decision on gane losses, what many, Dana White, believed that he deserved to win.
In every regular circumstance, it seems likely that Volkov would have been in line for a title shot and that is where his frustrations come from, where he says Championat that the UFC Jones gives privileges that he uses.
In a new interview with Red Corner MMA, 'Drago' said that although it is not the best for him personally, he can understand why the promotion would not make the decision to strip 'bones' from the belt.
“Well, if we consider this a real sport, probably yes, but the UFC is first of all a show business. Jon Jones generates a lot of money for the organization. From a financial point of view he is good for business. Even with his current status he brings attention.”
Volkov continued and declared that although Jones is not active now, he has still done more for the UFC than one of the other top names in the division at the moment.
“He has done and still does, much more for the UFC than someone of ours, therefore his value as champion should not only be calculated in terms of the sport, but also in terms of his media. [as champion]That means it's a good thing for them. “
Alexander Volkov says that he understands why the UFC Jon Jones did not stripped his championship belt, although he admits that it would be logical from a purely sporty perspective.
“Jon Jones generates a lot of money for the organization. From a financial point of view he is … pic.twitter.com/chx2bmhkmn
– Red Corner MMA (@redcorner_Mma) 30 May 2025
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Alexander Volkov rejected a matchup with a top heavyweight
Although Alexander Volkov does not really have time by his side at the age of 36, he is also not interested in fighting because of staying active.
Last month there were reports with regard to a matchup between the Russian and Brazilian Jilton Almeida, who currently occupies the #6 ranking order.
Volkov closed these rumors through a video that was placed on his social media platforms, where he stated that he “did not see any point in fighting the 6th ranked hunter.”
🚨 Alexander Volkov responds to rumors about a fight between him and Jilton Almeida in the making:
“I don't intend to fight Almeida in July. Why? Because I don't feel like fighting the 6th ranked hunter …
Let's wait for a more interesting offer. “
🎥… pic.twitter.com/jbgqd56cddd
– Championship Rounds (@champrds) 3 April 2025
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After having confronted other top candidates in Gane, Sergei Pavlovich and Curtis Blaydes, it is difficult to see what the next step of Volkov will be at the moment.