Alexander Volkov may have lost to Tom Aspinall in March but he put one back in the winning column last night when he defeated Jairzinho Rozenstruik in round one.
Volkov and Rozenstruik headlined the event to the chagrin of many fight fans.
Volkov dodged some loaded shots from Rozenstruik and circled out. From there he landed a big right that dazed Rozenstruik. Volkov kept the assault going until Herb Dean called it.
IN THE POCKET! @AlexDragoVolkov gets it done! #UFCVegas56 pic.twitter.com/VBRq3SN6QU
— UFC (@ufc) June 4, 2022
💣 VOLKOV QUI FOUDROIE ROZENSTRUIK ! Un direct puissant qui fait danser le combattant surinamien !
🔝 Une victoire qui le relance totalement dans la catégorie poids lourds de Francis Ngannou et Ciryl Gane #RMCMMA pic.twitter.com/Y519SVpDXE
— RMC Sport Combat (@RMCSportCombat) June 4, 2022
https://twitter.com/fernandlopez/status/1533215424132808704
Rozenstruik wasn’t pleased about the outcome – blaming Dean for the early stoppage. Volkov’s sentiments mirrored Rozenstruik’s:
“It’s not my fault, anyway. Referee stopped this. But, you know, he, like, go out of me after stoppage. In the moment I hit him, he was little bit like, knocked out. So, he wasn’t being like, fully fresh. So, anyway, it was big opportunity to knock him out to the end because he was almost on the mats.”
“I was ready to throw him down and continue on my work. So, anyway, he was in a bad position. Referee stopped this fight. But anyway, he was like, in a really bad position. And he like, takes so many hard punches, and he was little bit knocked out.”
Volkov isn’t sure what’s next:
“Probably, one [opponent] who I’m not fighting right now, in upper and mid [tier], it’s Tuivasa. But he’ll have to fight against [Ciryl] Gane in September or something. So, I need to wait, I need to wait for somebody. Or, any opponents that UFC will give me will be good. So, I just like to fight, and I’m here,” said Volkov.