Tensions are rising between Alexander Volkov and Jailton Almeida. Will they fight each other in the octagon?
Volkov seems to be against it. The experienced UFC heavyweight used social media to respond to rumors (from MMA reporter Léo Guimaraes) about a potential fight at a UFC event in Atlanta on June 14.
Volkov is ranked #3 in the UFC heavyweight rankings, and Almeida is #6. Volkov argues that fighting Almeida doesn`t make sense for him based on their rankings.
Guilherme Cruz from MMA Fighting confirmed that Almeida`s team wants the fight, but Volkov`s team hasn`t agreed yet.
Almeida clearly wants to fight Volkov and responded to Volkov`s comments on social media.
Almeida wrote, `I already agreed with the UFC. Volkov, what about you? June 14th, Atlanta, Georgia. I just want to fight. Ranking arguments don`t matter; you haven`t fought me yet, and you are coming off a loss. This is the fight to make.`
Almeida is on a two-fight winning streak, with quick finishes against Serghei Spivac and Alexander Romanov. He mentioned Volkov`s recent split decision loss to Ciryl Gane, which ended Volkov`s four-win streak.
Almeida further suggested that if Volkov refuses to defend his ranking, he should lose his position.
Almeida continued, `Saying beating me won`t improve his ranking is pointless. Blaydes beat me and then fought for the title. Everyone knows I`m a tough opponent. If Volkov beats me, he could fight for the title. The real question is: does he believe he can beat me?`
Almeida added, `For those who manage UFC rankings, we need to penalize fighters who decline fights. If Volkov refuses to fight me, I should move ahead of him in the rankings.`
#3 Almeida, #6 Volkov
