Alexander Volkanovski insists his next fight will be for the featherweight title—but a return to lightweight is looking pretty good.
Volkanovski’s run in the featherweight division is among the greatest runs in all of mixed martial arts history. But as ‘The Great’ learned firsthand, all good things come to an end. After failing in back-to-back attempts to add a second belt to his collection, Volkanovski surrendered the 145-pound crown at UFC 298, suffering a brutal second-round knockout at the hands of Ilia Topuria.
Since then, Volkanovski has been content to sit on the sidelines, allowing himself to heal while his three-time opponent, Max Holloway, gears up for a title tilt with ‘El Matador’ later this year.
Speaking with ESPN Australia, ‘The Great’ revealed that his next fight inside the Octagon will offer him the opportunity to reclaim the featherweight title—but that doesn’t mean he won’t look to get a little action at lightweight first.
“My next fight at featherweight will be for the title,” Volkanovski said. “It’s just the time. Obviously, I wanted to wait. I don’t know what exactly are the plans. I haven’t been hounding the UFC, just sort of been taking it easy. So, I don’t know if they got plans. I know for a fact my next fight is for the title. Whether something happens before that, and if that’s the case, does that mean I’m waiting too long?
“That’s where I’m like, if that is the case, alright. Maybe if Dustin Poirier [wants to], that would be an incredible fight. Obviously, he’s a good dude with a lot of respect for each other. Big name, very, very fun fight. That’s something, and I just thought I’d put feelers out so you never know. Lightweight division looks good but my next featherweight fight is for the belt” (h/t MMA Mania).
Considering the laundry list of injuries Poirier sustained in his UFC 302 title fight against Islam Makahchev, Volkanovski could be waiting quite a while for a showcase with ‘The Diamond.’
Alexander Volkanovski awaits the winner of ilia topuria vs. max holloway
Meanwhile, Ilia Topuria appears to be on a collision course with Holloway, a former featherweight titleholder who recently claimed the promotion’s bragging rights belt—the BMF title— at UFC 300 in April. Following his insane buzzer-beating KO of Justin Gaethje, ‘Blessed’ called for a clash with Topuria. It looks like he’ll get his wish.
No official announcements have been made, but all signs point toward Topuria’s first defense of the featherweight strap going down at UFC 306 when Dana White and Co. head to Sphere in Las Vegas for an event unlike any other in combat sports history.
Volkanovski will likely find himself matched up with the winner sometime in 2025. Will it be a fourth meeting with Max Holloway, or will ‘The Great’ run it back with the No. 5 ranked P4P fighter in the world? Only time will tell.