Heading into the final week of preparation before his bout against Alexander Volkov, former UFC heavyweight champion, Fabricio Werdum, has set a simple strategy: he will not play into Volkov’s strong suits.

As Werdum explained to AG Fight, he has sparred with Volkov before and is aware of the danger the former Bellator heavyweight champion brings to the table.

“Volkov is a really dangerous guy. He has been showing that not only in the UFC, but for a while now. He was a Bellator champion, if I’m not mistaken. He’s great reach and is really, really tall. He’s a real heavyweight. He has great muay thai, but lacks ground skills. You can’t compare his stand-up with his grappling. His striking is very refined, so you must be careful. I’ll fight smart, because he’s a good fighter.”

“He trained with us for a while, for a few weeks, but I can’t base my gameplan on that, because it’s completely different. Training and fighting are very different things. I had never seen him before, but I knew who he was. He’s a big guy who knows how to use his reach. After I got to know him, I learned more about him.”

Although he’s not looking past his current opponent, Werdum is interested in a title shot should he defeat Volkov, no matter who wears the heavyweight belt when the time comes.

“My next move depends on this fight. Of course I would like to fight Stipe Miocic or Daniel Cormier, no matter who it is. The important thing is to fight for the title, which is my goal, for the third time. I already fought for the belt twice and I was lucky to become the champion twice, but I don’t want to wait around for too long.

“If the UFC tells me I’m next, I’ll go straight for the belt. But if I have to wait, then I’ll take another fight. I want to fight, I don’t want to stand still. I know my opportunity will come. I believe I’ll still be champion this year.”

Fabricio Werdum is expected to headlined UFC Fight Night 127, against Alexander Volkov, in London, England, on March 17.