UFC London Main Card: Alexander Volkov is still the headliner, despite visa concerns

Alexander Volkov will be in next Saturday’s main event if all goes according to schedule.

The longtime heavyweight contender is still expected to fight Tom Aspinall in the main event of UFC London on March 19, according to an official lineup announcement on the UFC Vegas 50 broadcast.

Volkov’s participation was in doubt with the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war resulting in Russia being subjected to multiple sanctions from other countries protesting the act of aggression. With the event taking place at The O2 in London, the question was whether Volkov — who fights out of Moscow — would be allowed to enter the United Kingdom after a member of Parliament announced that “the UK will not welcome the national sports teams of those countries who are complicit in Putin’s unprovoked and illegal invasion of Ukraine.”

It was not clear if the ruling applied to individuals athletes but Saturday’s update indicated that Volkov would be competing next weekend in the U.K.

Volkov — The No. 7 heavyweight in MMA Fighting’s Global Rankings — will look for his fourth win in five fights, while No. 12 Aspinall can remain unbeaten in his first five UFC appearances with a win on Saturday.

* In the co-main, No. 11 featherweight Arnold Allen looks to go 9-0 in the UFC when he welcomes lightweight contender Dan Hooker back to the 145-pound division.

See the UFC London Main Card Lineup below :

• Alexander Volkov vs. Tom Aspinall
• Arnold Allen vs. Dan Hooker
• Paddy Pimblett vs. Kazula Vargas
• Gunnar Nelson vs. Takashi Sato
• Shamil Abdurakhimov vs. Sergei Pavlovich
• Nikita Krylov vs. Paul Craig