UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has reigned atop his division for four years since winning it off Max Holloway at UFC 245 in 2019.
Volkanovski has gone on to beat Holloway in a rematch and trilogy fight while also dispatching other featherweight contenders such as Brian Ortega and interim champ Yair Rodriguez.
'The Great' last fought Rodriguez at UFC 290 in July this year. For his next fight, he seems to be eyeing a January 2024 return as he stated in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter).
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Fans reacted with an abundance of Ilia Topuria shouts. Topuria is currently ranked No.5 in the featherweight division and is touted by many as the next champion.
"Topuria's the one who can pull up the upset so don't let him do it Champ Champ! [folded hands emoji]"
"This fight has me super excited because Ilia is a real threat to Volk and fights are always more interesting when the odds near 50-50"
While some were confident that Volkanovski will win over Topuria too.
"Iliar better make preparations, book the ambulance, book the hospital bed and the rehab centre they are gonna be busy. Nah just joking should be a great fight."
"Are you going to up to LW permanently after dealing with ilia? Your FW legacy is sealed, its undeniable mate."
Fans also expressed their excitement for a potential pay-per-view in Toronto.
Check out their comments in the screenshots below:
Alexander Volkanovski wants a rematch against Islam Makhachev at UFC 300
Alexander Volkanovski and Islam Makhachev put on a great duel in their UFC 284 lightweight title fight. At the end, Dagestani came out on top in his first title defense.
In a recent press conference, Volkanovski spoke about a potential rematch at the landmark UFC 300 pay-per-view and avenging only his second professional loss.
He said:
"I think that makes a lot of sense. Yeah, for sure. I think that would be great, especially with me getting my hand raised on that one for UFC 300 would be perfect, but again, we will see what we can do. But I think that’s one of the bigger fights that you can make. I truly do believe that. A lot of people want to see that again. It was very, very competitive, and I guarantee you I get it done next time."
Check out Alexander Volkanovski's comments below [3:52]: