Alexander Volkanovski only has eyes on getting the UFC featherweight title back.
The longtime champion at 145 pounds has been content to sit on the sidelines for much of 2024 following a knockout loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 this past February. That defeat ended Volkanovski’s four-year reign atop the division and raised questions as to what would be next for him, given that he has now lost three of his past four fights (including two failed attempts to wrest the lightweight title from Islam Makhachev).
Volkanovski told Sky Sports New Zealand that he’s confident waiting for a chance to fight the winner of Topuria’s Oct. 26 title defense against Max Holloway at UFC 308 is the right move.
“That’s exactly what’s happening,” Volkanovski said. “So I can wait or if I don’t want to wait, I can do something else. Or just wait, and the UFC has made that clear. Obviously, that’s probably what I’m going to do.
“I could have maybe done a lightweight fight, I think there’s a lot of exciting fights there, but the UFC aren’t big fans of floating. Look, you want to go to lightweight, you’re going to have to probably stay there, that’s the only thing, and then I might lose that featherweight title shot. So I might just have to wait. It’s only a couple of months, I’m sure I’ll be fine.”
Alexander Volkanovski set on waiting for Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway winner at UFC 308 - MMA Fighting
