Following a close defeat at UFC 284, mixed martial artist Alexander Volkanovski sees potential for rematches with Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria, while first needing to defend his featherweight title against Yair Rodriguez.
Alexander Volkanovski considers himself to have at least two thrilling options should he come out victorious at UFC 290. Previously, Volkanovski suffered a tight unanimous decision loss at UFC 284 to lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. While Volkanovski has consistently expressed interest in another round with Makhachev, the recent success of undefeated contender Ilia Topuria at UFC Jacksonville possibly provides him with his subsequent featherweight rival.
In a conversation with ESPN’s DC & RC, Volkanovski stated “I’m hearing a lot of people mentioning other guys, Ilia fighting other guys”. He further added, “I’m like, ‘No, don’t do it. Just give me a guy. Give me a contender.” Although he voiced his opinion of Topuria as a strong player, Volkanovski seemed hesitant about hyping up the potential matchup too much. The most immediate challenge for him, however, is defending his featherweight title against Yair Rodriguez in the main event on July 8th. Should he win, it would mark Volkanovski’s fifth consecutive successful title defense, maintaining his undefeated status at 145 pounds.
The confidence of Ilia Topuria was on full display following his impressive victory over Josh Emmett. The Georgian-Spanish fighter confidently declared he would be the one to end Volkanovski’s dominant reign. However, he also indicated that he might not resist the opportunity for a high-profile matchup with former champion Max Holloway in Spain, if the UFC decided to facilitate such an event. Regarding future challengers, Volkanovski announced his desire to stay active, saying “I want [challengers]. I want to be active. We don’t have them. So everyone’s raving about this guy (Topuria).” Even so, he indicated his focus is on Yair at the moment but he’s up for a rematch with Islam or a lightweight fight, depending on what the UFC decides.