Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is adjusting his plans after Aljamain Sterling's recent loss at UFC 292.
Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is adjusting his plans after Aljamain Sterling’s recent loss at UFC 292. Sterling had intended to move up a division after defending his bantamweight title against Sean O’Malley but suffered a TKO defeat in the second round of the headliner at TD Garden in Boston.
Volkanovski had initially considered a potential fight against Sterling if he secured a victory over O’Malley. However, with Sterling’s loss, Volkanovski no longer sees him as a contender for the featherweight title.
The reigning champion addressed Sterling’s post-fight comments where Sterling mentioned that if O’Malley was able to defeat him. He could only imagine what Volkanovski would do. Volkanovski acknowledged Sterling’s class for making such remarks but emphasized that a fight with Sterling is not on the horizon anymore.
“That’s not happening,” Volkanovski stated in a video on his YouTube channel. He also mentioned that Sterling could have leapfrogged top contender Ilia Topuria had he secured a win over O’Malley.
Volkanovski’s attention has now turned to Ilia Topuria an emerging contender in the featherweight division. Despite Topuria’s recent silence, Volkanovski is eyeing a potential matchup with him before the end of the year.
“Aljo, if he was to win in wild fashion and called his shot, he could have stepped in front of Ilia,” Volkanovski explained. “Ilia’s been pretty quiet. I thought he would be chirping, wanting to make sure he gets that fight. But I want to fight as soon as possible.”
Volkanovski expressed his interest in a rematch with lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. However, with Makhachev booked for a rematch against Charles Oliveira, Volkanovski’s focus has shifted to Topuria.
“I want that rematch, but he’s fighting in October, so I want to fight before then. I don’t want to fight early next year,” Volkanovski stated.
Volkanovski also mentioned that although his elbow is not fully healed. He is staying fit and working on his strength in preparation for his next fight. He expressed his eagerness to step back into the octagon before the end of the year and addressed Topuria encouraging him to be more vocal in order to secure the fight.
“Keep running your mouth because I like it. (It) revs me up – makes me want to punch you in the face even more,” Volkanovski declared.
For more UFC news and updates
Read: UFC 292: Preview, Prediction, Fight Card, Venue, Where to Watch, and Tickets
Read: UFC 292 results: Sean O’Malley Claims UFC Bantamweight Title with stunning finish
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