Alexander Volkanovski gets brutally honest about facing Diego Lopes instead of Ilia Topuria in his comeback: "I can beat this new school"

Alexander Volkanovski has not entered the octagon since February 2024 when he suffered a second-round knockout loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 298, losing the featherweight title in the process. 'The Great' is set to make his return to the octagon at UFC 314, facing Diego Lopes for the title after 'El Matador' shared that he would vacate the belt and move up to the lightweight division.

The No.1-ranked featherweight recently shared his thoughts on facing a different opponent. Speaking to Brett Okamoto of ESPN, Volkanovski was asked if he wished he was facing Topuria, to which he responded:

"That's what we thought it was going to be. I did the face off so, originally, early, that's what I wanted and then it got to a point where I didn't know what was happening and you're hearing him even talk about maybe moving up. I'm like, is this just negotations, what's going on? So, I didn't think too much in it so we're still game planning for Ilia and then you're hearing, could it maybe be Lopes? So, by this stage, I'm like just give me anyone now."

Volkanovski continued:

"I want to get that win back, but I also want to prove that I can beat this new school. And I wanted to do that with Ilia, he's gone, but I can still do that with the new school. Part of my comeback story is still that I can take out this new school. I still got these guys, trust me. So, that's still good for my story. Lopes, young, hungry, he's on a tear at the moment. Go out and do that, they'll be like, 'Oh, wow, Volk's still got it'."

Check out Alexander Volkanovski's comments on facing Diego Lopes below:

Volkanovski will have the opportunity to join Jose Aldo as the only two-time featherweight champions in divisional history. Meanwhile, Lopes will look to become just the sixth fighter to win the belt.

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Diego Lopes shares what he learned from Alexander Volkanovski's loss to Ilia Topuria

Ilia Topuria became the first fighter to hand Alexander Volkanovski a loss at 145 pounds. Diego Lopes shared what he learned from the UFC 298 clash during a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, stating:

"I learned so much because this is the interesting fight, right? Ilia has a similar style as me. I'm so aggressive [going forward] and Ilia is the same, but the difference for this fight is I'm long and I'm a tall guy...I think it's a different fight than Alex and Ilia, but I like to fight in the close distance. I think it's a good fight, you know?"

Check out Diego Lopes' comments on what he learned from Alexander Volkanovski vs. Ilia Topuria below:

Lopes will look to make a statement by claiming the title less than two years after making his promotional debut. He enters the bout on a five-fight winning streak that includes two finishes, while Volkanovski has lost three of his past four bouts.