It seems UFC gave featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski the option to wait until later this year to fight Islam Makhachev. However, Volkanovski is eager to fight soon.
Alexander Volkanovski fell short in his fight against Makhachev for the UFC Lightweight Championship at UFC 284 on Feb. 11. He gave Makhachev all he could handle in their fight but ultimately lost by unanimous decision. However, while the judges had him losing, some fans and fighters thought Volkanovski had won.
The conclusion of UFC 284 made people want to see a rematch between the two champions. On the same card, Yair Rodriguez defeated Josh Emmett by submission to win the UFC Interim Featherweight Championship, to be a possible challenger for Volkanovski.
A fight between Volkanovski and Rodriguez is rumored to occur at UFC 290 on July 8. However, the UFC Featherweight Champion could’ve stayed at lightweight for his next fight.
Alexander Volkanovski on Possibly Skipping Opportunity to Fight Islam Makhachev
In an interview with The Mac Life, Alexander Volkanovski was asked if it was challenging to go from fighting for the lightweight title to returning to featherweight to fight Rodriguez. He responded by revealing that his fight with Rodriguez isn’t official yet but is optimistic that an agreement would be made. He also shared that UFC offered him the chance to have a rematch with Makhachev for the Lightweight Championship later this year.
“…We even had more of an option, they even asked what do we want to do, but I mean, I wanted to fight as soon as possible, so that was what it was. I wasn’t lying when I said I wanted to stay busy, you know what I mean, so that was the honest truth, and that was the case. They even asked they’re like, ‘Look if you want the rematch, we don’t know; you know that’s not going to be till the end of the year.’ Well, I ain’t waiting until the end of the year. I can fight at featherweight and then see what happens later,” said Volkanovski.
Makhachev doesn’t have an opponent officially, but UFC lightweight Beneil Dariush claims that Dustin Poirier could be the next challenger. If true, fans must hope that Makhachev and Volkanovki win their next fight to see a rematch.