UFC heavyweight contender Alexander Volkov scored an impressive unanimous decision victory over Rizvan Kuniev at UFC 333, which put him at the doorstep of a potential title shot. However, the Russian had to put in more than just hard work to reach the position he’s currently in. Volkov has been battling a lifelong case of bronchial asthma that still affects his training.

During a recent interview with Vadim Tikhomirov posted by Red Corner MMA on X, Volkov detailed his ordeal with the debilitating disease, which dates back to his childhood.

“I had Bronchial Asthma. I still have it now. It just doesn’t show itself because I stay in good shape. But from my early childhood until I was 18, I would periodically have Asthma attacks. I was struggling to breathe. It felt really bad. So, keeping up a high pace and high level in training was difficult. 

“I felt terrible during training. I don’t know what motivated me to train. But I kept enjoying it. I trained twice a week in our school gym.”     

For those who may not know, bronchial asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease that affects the airways of the lungs. It can cause severe breathing problems because the bronchial tubes that carry air into the lungs can become significantly swollen and inflamed. The disease can pose serious challenges for athletes to overcome, as persistent chest tightness and severe coughing can occur. 

Knowing that Alexander Volkov has been dealing with such a medical condition since childhood and has still managed to rack up a total of 52 professional fights with a 41-11 record in his MMA career is nothing short of impressive.

Volkov didn’t disclose exactly how he developed the condition or what medical procedures he underwent to recover from it. However, doctors often prescribe inhalers and warm-up exercises to help manage the condition.  

This is not the first time Alexander Volkov has discussed his struggles with bronchial asthma.

Before fighting Ciryl Gane in the main event of UFC Vegas 30, the UFC heavyweight shared his experience with Sport-Express. Reflecting on his condition, Volkov explained that it was not “critical” and that he continued performing other cardio exercises, such as working on heavy bags and jumping rope, despite the condition hampering his lungs. 

Besides Alexander Volkov, former UFC heavyweight Greg Hardy also had a case of asthma. In fact, Hardy sparked controversy after using an inhaler between rounds at UFC Boston in 2019, which prompted the commission to overturn his unanimous decision victory to a no-contest.

Despite dealing with a debilitating condition, Alexander Volkov has firmly established himself as a prime contender for the heavyweight championship. However, following the recent win against Kuniev, the Russian had concerns about his title shot. 

Alexander Volkov is not chasing the UFC heavyweight title anymore 

Alexander Volkov currently sits at No. 2 in the UFC heavyweight rankings, and yet he didn’t shy away from fighting Rizvan Kuniev, who is ranked well below him. At UFC 333, ‘Drago’ put on a masterclass, chopping at his opponent’s legs and using his striking to secure a unanimous decision victory, and also improved his winning streak to three.

However, he feels an imminent title shot is not in sight, and he won’t be bothered by it. 

“I’m not hunting for this title and the belt,” Volkov said on The Ariel Helwani Show. “This belt doesn’t define me. I’m still a champion by myself. I understand who I am, where I am, what I can do, which guys I can beat.”  

Following that remark, Alexander Volkov also took a few shots at the reigning champion, Ciryl Gane.

“The fighter who has the belt defines what the belt means. You should have a guy who’s proved his record, who can beat everyone, who’s a real martial artist. Not just somebody who breaks the rules every fight or tries to injure his opponents.

The UFC heavyweight contender’s criticism of Ciryl Gane stemmed from the Frenchman’s history of committing fouls in his fights.

The Frenchman received plenty of backlash from fans after accidentally poking Tom Aspinall in the eye at UFC 321, which eventually forced the Manchester-based fighter to vacate the title. Plus, some criticism followed when he landed shots to the back of the head against Alex Pereira at UFC White House.

However, Volkov was particularly infuriated after Ciryl Gane called Tom Aspinall mentally weak during an interview. The Russian called the Frenchman a “cheater” and defended Aspinall from the criticism.

Now that Alexander Volkov is actively involved in the title mix following his win over Rizvan Kuniev, it will be interesting to see how his trajectory goes.