After an incredibly impressive performance at UFC 290, Alexander Volkanovski has further proved that he is among, if not the pound-for-pound greatest, fighters in the world at the moment. An utterly dominant display over high flying interim champion Yair Rodriguez has ensured that he is still the king of the featherweights, yet there appears to be several paths he could go down in regard to his next fight.
Three Fights that Make Sense for Alexander Volkanovski
Islam Makhachev
Good luck this week @alexvolkanovski pic.twitter.com/zL14Wx4jBa
— Makhachev Islam (@MAKHACHEVMMA) July 6, 2023
A rematch that many fans wish to see, Islam Makhachev is the current lightweight champion of the UFC. Volkanovski previously made the move up to 155 lbs. in an attempt to dethrone Makhachev and achieve the coveted double-champion status.
In a closely contested fight, Makhachev was awarded the victory in a contest that many scored for the featherweight champ Volkanovski. Almost immediately after the fight, talks of a rematch were being discussed and with Makhachev slated to be fighting on a card in October in Abu Dhabi, Volkanovski has repeatedly stated that he would love to make the fight happen.
Many pundits had expected the lightweight division’s number one contender and former champion Charles Oliveira to face against Makhachev in a rematch, but the Brazilian has repeatedly stated that he will not be ready in October. This means a rematch between champions could be a very real possibility for the fall of this year.
Ilia Topuria
If Volkanovski wishes to stay in his own division, options have emerged here also. At one point, it was felt by many that Volkanovski had essentially cleared out the 145 lbs. division and had essentially ran out of contenders to fight. However this has recently changed with the emergence of Ilia Topuria.
Topuria is 6-0 in the UFC and has just recently defeated Josh Emmett. Emmett was coming off of a title fight loss to Yair Rodriguez for the interim championship and was immediately looking to bounce back quickly to make his way back into the title picture. “CCO” was utterly outclassed by Topuria and was beaten from pillar to post losing a unanimous decision. One judge’s scorecard even read 50-42, marking the appearance of the ultra rare 10-7 round.
The manner in which Topuria dispatched Emmett, who is among the best in the division and was coming off of a title fight has fans and pundits alike excited about this new challenger. Currently sitting at number five in the division rankings, Topuria is the only man in the top-5 who has not been beaten by Alex Volkanovski or Max Holloway and this fresh face is exactly what featherweight division needs.
Aljamain Sterling
Aljamain Sterling is the current champion at bantamweight and has stated numerous times that his upcoming fight with Sean O’ Malley will be his last in the division regardless of the outcome. Having always been a large 135er, the “Funkmaster” has stated recently that the weight cut has become more and more grueling and has repeated his intention on moving up to featherweight.
This would be a massive fight as Sterling would surely be granted an immediate title shot upon his arrival to the featherweight division. He is among the most decorated bantamweight champions in UFC history and with a win over O’ Malley, will have set a record number of defenses in the division with four. He has beaten the likes of Henry Cejudo and TJ Dillashaw and will truly be considered as one of the bantamweight GOATS at the end of his career. A fight against Volkanovski would be huge for the legacies of both men and allows Sterling the opportunity to become a double champion. It turn, it allows Volkanovski to add another former champion to his already extremely impressive resume.
What Makes the Most Sense
It would seem to make the most sense for Volkanovski to stay at featherweight. With one more title win under the Australian champion’s belt, “Volk” would top the featherweight title defense record set by the now UFC Hall of Famer Jose Aldo. While of course, there is a massive appetite among the fanbase to see the rematch with Makhachev, it would be a shame for Volkanovski to abandon the featherweight weight class when he is so close to affirming himself as the greatest of all time in the division.