Alexander Volkanovski took 14 months to rest and recover from his last loss. Don’t expect to wait that long to see “The Great” again.
The now two-time featherweight champion is eager to capitalize on his UFC 314 title fight triumph over Diego Lopes, which is good news for a division rife with compelling challengers.
There’s Yair Rodriguez, who could land a rematch with Volkanovski after spoiling longtime Bellator star Patricio Pitbull’s UFC debut on Saturday. There’s the undefeated Movsar Evloev, currently 9-0 in the octagon. And then there’s the fast-rising Jean Silva, who also competed at UFC 314, stealing the show with a choke-out of Bryce Mitchell.
As far as Volkanovski is concerned, they can all get it, and he might be able to cross two names off the list in the next eight months.
“I guess fighting-wise, I obviously wanted to get back in there,” Volkanovski told TMZ Sports. “I mentioned about being very active, I still want to be active. Just got to get a few things looked at, obviously a few bumps and bruises, see how that goes, talk to the UFC, and we’ll make it happen.
“I’m definitely fighting again this year, but the question is, am I doing two more?”
If Rodriguez—a native of Mexico—has his way, he’d set up a dream fight with Volkanovski at UFC 320 in Guadalajara on Sept. 13. Volkanovski defeated Rodriguez at UFC 290 in a title unification bout when “El Pantera” was carrying an interim belt.
Rodriguez might be an easier sell right now than Evloev, whose grappling-heavy fighting style hasn’t endeared him to UFC CEO Dana White and the matchmakers, despite wins over Lopes, Arnold Allen, and former bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling.
Volkanovski, 36, doesn’t feel there’s a clear-cut No. 1 contender at the moment so he’s going to take his time letting his bumps and bruises heal before working out what’s next.
“That’s what it is,” Volkanovski said. “I was hoping it would be a lot more clearer, especially because I want to be active, I was hoping it would be a lot more clearer, but it’s just not. Not yet. So we’ll see.
“I think Movsar was the name I kept mentioning, I’ve just got to see if the UFC even want that. Right? Does the UFC want that, do the people want that? I’m sure Movsar wants that, but I’ve just got to see what makes sense. But again, I’m going to be active enough where I can make sure whoever wants it, they probably both can get it done this year.”