UFC London main event in doubt amid concerns over Russian Alexander Volkov’s visa

The veteran is on the poster for this month’s event, but Russia’s invasion of Ukraine may complicate matters

The main event of UFC London is in doubt amid concerns over Alexander Volkov’s visa.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has led to Russian teams being banned from competitions, such as Fifa and Uefa football tournaments, with the International Olympic Committee recommending the exclusion of athletes and officials who represent the invading nation.

As such, there are doubts that Russian Volkov will be granted a visa to fight Tom Aspinall at UFC London, which is due to take place at the O2 Arena on 19 March.

Despite the uncertainty over Volkov’s presence, a poster for the event was released on Sunday and features an image of the Russian.

It is as yet unclear whether Briton Aspinall will still fight at UFC London if Volkov is unable to compete.

Another heavyweight bout on the main card is set to see Russians Shamil Abdurakhimov and Sergei Pavlovich go head-to-head, though their attendance is now up in the air, too.

Meanwhile, Ukraine’s Nikita Krylov is scheduled to fight Scotland’s Paul Craig in a light heavyweight contest.