Alexander Volkanovski is having fun with the options ahead of him now that he’s no longer Ultimate Fighting Championship’s (UFC) Featherweight champion.
Few fighters throughout mixed martial arts (MMA) history have put on the types of masterclass performances “The Great” did during his title reign. Unfortunately for Volkanovski, all good things come to an end.
Volkanovski, 35, has been enjoying his time between bouts since he lost his title to Ilia Topuria via a second round knockout (watch highlights) at UFC 298 this past February 2024. Shortly after the bout, Volkanovski was adamant that he’d rematch Topuria. It was just a matter of when. After the time that’s passed, Volkanovski still expects that to be the case, whether or not he gets some action in at Lightweight before then.
“My next fight at Featherweight will be for the title,” Volkanovski told ESPN Australia. “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,” he continued. “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.”
Topuria has yet to defend his title but all indications point at him and former champion, Max Holloway, colliding.