UFC 229 is playing host to one of the biggest fights in UFC’s history but among the lineup to get there is plenty of great action in its own right.
In the main card second bout, we get a massive contender matchup between Derrick ‘Black Beast’ Lewis and Russia’s ‘Drago’, Alexander Volkov.
The 6’7″ Volkov is a former Bellator champion and has been flawless so far in the Octagon with four straight wins thus putting him on a six-fight winning streak since his last loss in 2015.
In Volkov’s last time out we saw him take out the former champion Fabricio Werdum via fourth-round knockout thus launching him very close to a title shot. A win this Saturday over Lewis could lead him straight to that.
With current champion Daniel Cormier and Brock Lesnar looking all too inevitable sometime early next year, it would leave Volkov waiting for that fight to conclude if he is to beat Lewis. And if that is a title shot worthy win, Volkov said at UFC 229 media day (via Submission Radio) that he’d prefer to face Cormier over Lesnar.
“I want to be one of the guys who fight with Cormier before he finish his career. Cormier make a really big influence on UFC history. I mean he is heavyweight champion, in two categories, two division. And also he didn’t lose in any fight [at] heavyweight. So my fight with Cormier means much more for me than fight with Brock Lesnar. For example, if he will be champion it will just be…money fight to make me more famous but fight with Cormier make me greater like a fighter not like a showman in this sport.
Of course, if choose Cormier or Brock Lesnar, [I] choose Cormier but maybe when I will be champion Brock Lesnar come back one time and I will meet him who knows because right now I don’t know what to expect from UFC, from everybody. World’s became crazy will all of this fights with Conor [McGregor] vs [Floyd] Mayweather. Maybe one day I will try myself in professional boxing, who knows. We will see.”
Cormier’s current plan is to retire by his 40th birthday which is in March. He has stated numerous times since his heavyweight title win over Stipe Miocic that he would like to defend both of his titles by that time. First vs Lesnar at heavyweight, then Jon Jones at light heavyweight.
This article first appeared on BJPenn.com on 10/5/2018