Outside Source
Tom Aspinall isn’t the only one frustrated by the proceedings — or lack thereof — at the top of the heavyweight division.
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Russian heavyweight Alexander Volkov is also feeling the effects of the delay in the booking of the heavyweight title unification bout between Jon Jones and Aspinall. This past week, Jones cast doubt that the fight will ever happen in a series of posts on social media. First, “Bones” claimed that he informed the UFC of his plans “a long time ago,” and later, he gave a less than encouraging assessment of his career status.
Volkov, a 36-year-old former Bellator MMA and M-1 Global champion, is well aware that his time as a top contender has a shelf life. “Drago” had a four-bout winning streak snapped in his last outing, a contentious split-decision loss to Ciryl Gane at UFC 310.
“As a fighter, of course, I have a negative opinion of the delay in the Jones-Aspinall fight, since my chances to fight for the championship title are getting smaller, and time is running out,” Volkov told Russian outlet championat.com (via Google Translate). “In other weight categories, there is a real conveyor belt of fights. That’s why I am unhappy. So I would have had a chance to test myself in a title fight a long time ago, if it weren’t for Jon Jones.”
However, Volkov doesn’t necessarily blame Jones for the way the situation has unfolded. Instead, he believes it’s on the promotion to force his hand and keep the division moving forward.
“But I can understand him. If I were in Jones’ place, with his position, the goal of earning the maximum amount of money and the desire to fight when it is convenient for him, then, of course, I would continue to do this,” Volkov said. “It is obvious that he does what is beneficial for himself first and foremost. And Jon has the right to do so. And the question here is not so much about Jon Jones, but about the fact that the UFC allows him to behave this way and shows excessive loyalty to him. As a result, everyone is waiting.”
This article first appeared at Recent News on Sherdog.com
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