Alexander Volkov, the No. 2 ranked UFC heavyweight, opened up about the caution he felt heading into his fight against Dominican Republic fighter Waldo Cortes-Acosta, revealing a key lesson he carried from a painful past defeat.
Volkov, also known as “Drago,” admitted he still vividly remembers the moment Derrick Lewis knocked him out late in their fight back in 2018 – a bout Volkov was winning at the time. That memory served as a constant reminder during his recent clash.
“Maybe my performance wasn’t that flashy, but Waldo is a seriously tough guy. No one has been able to knock him out. I did put him down in the second round, and his punches were very accurate,” Volkov told MMAJunkie. “I learned that lesson back in 2018, when Derrick Lewis did exactly the same thing and caught me right at the end. People keep reminding me of it every time they see me. So I’ve taken that lesson to heart.”
Volkov emphasized the need for precision against durable opponents who can land shots every minute of the fight. “With tough guys like that, you have to be extremely precise and just keep piling on damage. It feels like a flashback every time. I just keep telling myself: ‘Stay focused, be accurate until the very end – keep moving, don’t get complacent, don’t assume you’ve already won.’”
The fight took place at UFC 328 in Newark, USA, where Volkov earned a unanimous decision victory over Cortes-Acosta.
