Alexander Volkanovski’s physical condition leaves ex-UFC champion stunned ahead of Diego Lopes clash: “To be moving like this is unreal"

At UFC 314 on April 12, Alexander Volkanovski will fight Diego Lopes for the vacant featherweight title. The former champion is as hungry as ever to reclaim the title and is pulling out all the stops to ensure he is in the best physical and mental shape of his life.

'The Great' began preparing for his fight a month before it was officially announced, as he kicked off his pre-training camp preparations in January. Volkanovski revealed that he also cut his consumption of alcohol completely until his fight, something he has not done this far out from a bout.

The 36-year-old's decision to leave no stone unturned in his preparation appears to be paying off. Former UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling, known for his elite cardio, recently shared his amazement at Volkanovski's current physical condition.

Sterling trained alongside the featherweight title challenger at Bangtao Muay Thai in Thailand. In a recent video shared on Volkanovski's YouTube channel, Sterling said:

"I came here and it was like, 'Oh you're not in shape. This is in shape.' He's in really good shape right now. To be this far out and to be moving like this is unreal. Unreal."

Catch Aljamain Sterling discuss Alexander Volkanovski below (3:58):

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Alexander Volkanovski hints at Champ vs. Champ matchup with Ilia Topuria at lightweight

Alexander Volkanovski was expected to face Ilia Topuria in 2025 in a rematch of their UFC 298 clash, which saw the Spaniard become the new featherweight champion.

But Topuria's difficulty making the 145-pound weight limit and his knockout wins over Volkanovski and Max Holloway, have seen him move northwards in search of greater challenges.

His decision to vacate the title and move to lightweight has left 'The Great' and Diego Lopes to square off in Miami at UFC 314. But the Australian has not given up hope of facing Topuria again.

Volkanovski challenged Islam Makhachev for the lightweight title on two occasions and recently hinted at a potential champion vs. champion matchup with 'El Matador' at 155 pounds.

In the aforementioned video, the 36-year-old discussed his desire to face his former opponent one more time, saying:

"Get that f**king belt back... I made it pretty obvious that I was fighting soon... Fair play to Ilia, yeah. I'll go do my thing, maybe we can just make a bigger fight after this. We'll see what happens. See whatever's in store for him, let him do his thing. But I'll go win this title and maybe we can make an even bigger rematch."

Catch Alexander Volkanovski's message to Ilia Topuria below (18:45):