UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski seemed to recently confirm his interest in a move up to lightweight happening soon.
Volkanovski continues to surge as one of the leading stars of the UFC following recent title defenses against former champion Max Holloway and veteran ‘The Korean Zombie’. As of the publication of this story, Volkanovski is listed at No. 2 on the men’s UFC pound-for-pound rankings.
Volkanovski has teased a potential move to lightweight in recent months as he continues to clear out the featherweight division. In his UFC debut back in 2016, he fought at 155lbs and defeated Yusuke Kasuya via second-round TKO finish.
Six years later, Volkanovski is plotting a return to the lightweight division for the chance to become a two-division UFC champion. After the Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev UFC 280 matchup was announced, it didn’t take long for him to claim his stake for the next title fight.
Alexander Volkanovski Eyes The Charles Oliveira Vs. Islam Makhachev Victor
In a recent tweet, Volkanovski teased a matchup against either Oliveira or Makhachev.
“I got the winner!!” Volkanovski tweeted.
Oliveira was stripped of his lightweight title ahead of UFC 274 after failing to make championship weight. He went on to defeat Justin Gaethje to earn the No. 1 contender spot for the now-vacant belt.
Oliveira also got more good news on Saturday when it was announced that he had beat out Volkanovski, Kayla Harrison, and Kamaru Usman to earn the 2022 ESPY Award for ‘MMA Fighter of the Year’. This was the second consecutive year that a current or former lightweight champion has earned the accolade.
Makhachev, a protégé of Khabib Nurmagomedov, has won 10 fights in a row to earn the lightweight title shot. He’s defeated the likes of Bobby Green and Thiago Moisés in his most recent performances.
Volkanovski could potentially face Josh Emmett for his next featherweight title defense or hold out for the Oliveira/Makhachev winner. In either case, Volkanovski has a plan in place for his immediate UFC future.
How do you think Alexander Volkanovski matches up against Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev?