"If I beat him, then everyone's going to consider me the champion" - Alexander Volkanovski discusses why he would prefer fighting Charles Oliveira over Islam Makhachev

Alexander Volkanovski has not been shy about his desire to serve as a replacement for the UFC 280 main event between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev. After sharing that he will be the "backup fighter" for the lightweight title bout, Volkanovski discussed who he would rather face.

During a recent appearance on The MMA Hour, Volkanovski was asked by host Ariel Helwani if he has a preference for UFC 280. The featherweight champion stated:

"I'd say Charles would be the better opponent. People say stylistically, but obviously, there's a lot of hype around Charles. Everyone considers him the champ so if I beat him then everyone's going to consider me the champion."

Volkanovski then added what it would mean if he fought Islam Makhachev:

"However, if I was to face Islam, I'm sure people would still say I'm champ, but I'm still going to have to beat Charles. You face Charles it's a bigger fight because he's got a lot of hype on him."

Volkanovski, who is looking to become the fifth double champ in UFC history, added that if the scheduled UFC 280 main event takes place, he will be rooting for Oliveira. He shared his reasoning, noting that Oliveira wants to fight regularly, which he respects and that he doesn't want to wait for his lightweight title shot.

Watch Alexander Volkanovski discuss being a backup for UFC 280 (starting at the 4:19:23 mark):

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Beneil Dariush "confused" by Alexander Volkanovski's claim

Alexander Volkanovski recently announced on Twitter that he is the backup for the UFC 280 main event between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev. However, the No.6-ranked lightweight Beneil Dariush, who is also scheduled to fight on the main card of UFC 280, stated that he was confused by the featherweight champion's claims.

Speaking on SiriusXM's Fight Nation, Dariush stated:

"Honestly, I'm confused. I'm not sure if he's playing games or the UFC is playing games because I was told I'm the fill in. That's the whole point of having another lightweight fight on that card, just in case something goes wrong... I'm trying to get to the bottom of it... But I really thought I was the fill in, that's what I was told."

Volkanovski addressed Dariush's comments on The MMA Hour, stating:

"If he's watching, I'm not playing any games... My corners getting flown over, we've already got our flights, I'm getting paid for this, all that type of stuff. It's locked in. I'm not playing any games."

Although Dariush has long awaited for his opportunity for a title shot, it is no surprise that the UFC is prioritizing Volkanovski. The No.1-ranked pound-for-pound fighter is chasing greatness by seeking to become the UFC's fifth double champ.

Watch Alexander Volkanovski's response to Beneil Dariush below (starting at the 4:14:09 mark):