Alexander Volkanovski scored his seventh straight win under the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) banner — seventeenth overall — after defeating Jose Aldo at UFC 237 this past weekend (Sat., May 11, 2019) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The victory should be enough to earn “The Great” a shot at Max Holloway’s Featherweight title, even over a legend like Frankie Edgar.
“Listen, I got a lot of respect and I love the bloke as well, Frankie. I am a big fan of him. I feel bad him taking that risk and losing,” said Alex during a recent interview on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Show.
“But like I’ve been saying all week, why do we call it a risk? If you were going to fight and lose and still get the title, then it’s not really a risk. But it is a risk and you took the risk and you’re a legend for that. What a champion he is for even doing that,” he added. “But at the same time, you took that risk and it didn’t end up well for you. Sorry, but I think I am next. If you want to wait around after me, then I will be happy to fight you for the title.”
While Volkanovski admires Edgar’s overall body of work, he says there simply isn’t denying who of the two men is hotter at the moment. And if UFC opts to give the fight to “The Answer,” it will be out of pure sympathy.
“But right now, do you make me wait? Can you really pick him over me? I just took out the No. 1 contender, someone he’s never beaten. He’s lost twice to Aldo, Aldo’s taken out other guys and he’s number one contender for a reason,” he said. “I’m now the number one contender, it’s a no-brainer. If they do get Frankie, it’s just a sympathy thing. Is that really how business should work? You know I am all about the good guys, but sometimes we get put to the back of the line because we are too nice,” he concluded.
Edgar was last seen defeating Cub Swanson at UFC Fight Night 128 over a year ago, so his return to the Octagon could be coming sooner, rather than later. Whether or not it’s his much-desired shot at becoming a multi-division UFC champion, remains to be seen.
Who do you feel should get next dibs on Holloway?