Photo by Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC
Reigning Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) featherweight titleholder Alexander Volkanovski is hoping to make his Octagon return later this year or perhaps first quarter 2021 against a top 145-pound contender.
Not a former champion propped up by “loyal” fans.
That’s why “The Great” has his eye on the streaking Calvin Kattar, who’s now won two straight and four of his last five against some very tough competition, including veteran bruiser Jeremy Stephens and “Contender Series” standout Dan Ige.
“That’d be a good fight,” Volkanovski told MMA Fighting. “Kattar’s got some good hands, so that’d be a very interesting fight. I’d love to see that. But at the same time, people are saying I should fight Max again, and it’s just ridiculous. I have a lot of respect for Max and that’s why I gave him the rematch. But just because it was a close fight it doesn’t mean I’m gonna give him another fight. At least not right now.”
Volkanovski (22-1) captured the crown from Holloway at UFC 245 in Dec. 2019, then defended it at UFC 251 the following July. Their second fight was much closer than the first but regardless, the record books have the Aussie up two-zip.
“If Max was to fight Kattar and he fights someone else, then he’s right back up there,” Volkanovski continued. “I want No. 1 contenders, and if he gets himself there, and there is no one else, let’s do it again. I’m having people telling me he beat me the last two fights. It’s just crazy. Obviously he has loyal fans. The second fight was close, the first one really wasn’t, but a lot of people are still talking about it so maybe a little ways down the track we can make that happen. Let me take out some contenders.”
Assuming they battle to a clearcut finish with no controversy, the 32 year-old Volkanovski is expected to meet the winner of Brian Ortega vs. Chan Sung Jung, who collide in the Fight Island 6 main event later this month.