Former undisputed featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski has welcomed the idea of a fan-friendly fight with former lightweight titleholder, Charles Oliveira in his return to the UFC later this year – calling for an “exciting” pairing at 155lbs.
Volkanovski, a former undisputed featherweight gold holder and prior pound-for-pound number one, will look to snap a two-fight losing skid in his return to action, most recently headlining UFC 298 back in February.
Suffering his first defeat at the featherweight limit, Volkanovski dropped a stunning second round knockout defeat to the unbeaten, Ilia Topuria in Anaheim, losing his undisputed title in the process.
And as for former lightweight champion, Oliveira, the Sao Paulo finishing maestro featured on the main card of UFC 300 earlier this year to boot, himself losing a controversial split decision loss to Arman Tsarukyan in the pair’s officially-billed title eliminator clash in Las Vegas.
Alexander Volkanovski sounds out Charles Oliveira fight
Likely to miss out on a featherweight title rematch with Topuria next – as the Spaniard lines up a UFC 307 return in Utah against soon-to-be common-opposition, Max Holloway, Volkanovski wants an “exciting” clash in his return – naming a potential bout with Oliveira.
“I’ve heard Ilia (Topuria) and Max (Holloway) is confirmed so I need to talk with the UFC and see what’s going on,” Alexander Volkanovski said during an interview with Fox Sports Australia. “I’d said I wanted some time off, and the UFC wanted to take some time off, so if that fight is made, I need to be okay with it. I can expect the UFC to wait for me. But if they are going to do Ilia and Max, I just hoped it would be earlier because I want to fight this year, I don’t want to wait.”
Alex Volkanovski wants Charles Oliveira as his next fight
“There is nobody (at featherweight) that excites me, or that I haven't fought
already, and (the UFC) have said my next one is the title fight”On Oliveira: “What happens if you wait around and fall off the edge? If… pic.twitter.com/YQwMVhx3aS
— Spinnin Backfist (@SpinninBackfist) June 26, 2024
“So, if there is no title fight until next year [for me] then I need something exciting – maybe Charles Oliveira,” Alexander Volkanovski explained. “There are others but I think Michael Chandler will keep waiting for Conor McGregor and I think Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje also want to wait a bit. There is nobody [at featherweight] that excites me, or that I haven’t fought already. And they’ve said my next one there is the title fight.”
Who wins in a potential fight: Alexander Volkanovski or Charles Oliveira?