"I volunteer as tribute” - Alexander Volkanovski nominates himself to face Stipe Miocic after Jon Jones’ withdrawal from UFC 295 

Alexander Volkanovski has shown himself to be a man who can laugh at his own misfortune after jokingly volunteering to face Stipe Miocic at UFC 295 next month following Jon Jones' withdrawal.

'Bones' suffered a torn pectoral tendon yesterday during wrestling training and is expected to be out for as long as eight months.

Volkanovski showed his desire to become a two-division champion by accepting a clash with Islam Makhachev on 11 days' notice at UFC 294 last weekend. 'The Great' was knocked out in round one, and his potential clash with Ilia Topuria in January could now be in jeopardy.

But following news of Jon Jones' injury, Alexander Volkanovski took to X (formerly Twitter) and jested that he would happily replace 'Bones':

"I volunteer as tribute... Obviously wish @JonnyBones all the best in recovery"

See the post below:

Alexander Volkanovski's rematch with Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 was a highly anticipated affair, given how competitive their clash in Perth this past February was.

But Makhachev's definitive KO victory has likely put an end to their growing rivalry, and a trilogy bout between the pair will almost certainly never happen.

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Alexander Volkanovski reflects on his decision to accept short-notice bout with Islam Makhachev

Alexander Volkanovski showcased his championship mettle by accepting a lightweight title clash with Islam Makhachev on 11 days' notice at UFC 294 last weekend.

'The Great' put on an incredible performance against Makhachev during their first fight at UFC 284 in February. Some felt that Volkanovski won the fight and expected another epic battle in their anticipated rematch.

But Islam Makhachev silenced all doubters with a first-round head kick knockout, proving to the world that he was not just a grappler.

In the aftermatch of Alexander Volkanovski's defeat, he shared a vulnerable moment at the post-fight press conference, admitting that he had faced some mental hurdles over the past few months.

'The Great' has now elaborated on his comments post-UFC 294, stating that he was not as dedicated to training as he should have been prior to being asked to face Makhachev on short notice:

"I still stand by that decision because I believe in myself all the time and I think people should challenge themselves. I’ve been a big advocate of people challenging themselves and put themselves in positions - high risk, high reward."

He continued:

"I wasn’t the professional, disciplined person that I was the last few months, that I usually am. So the timing of this fight coming while I was not in the gym as much as I would like to be."

Watch the video below from 4:25: