Alexander Volkanovski finished Movsar Evloev in the second round at UFC 333 on Saturday, kept his title, and then used his post-fight media time to pitch the last fight he wants. He’d move up to lightweight and fight Justin Gaethje, with both men walking away afterward in a double retirement fight.
“I don’t want to hold divisions up, but I believe we could do this and not hold the divisions up,” Volkanovski said in a clip shared by Championship Rounds on X. “That’s something I’d retire for. If they want to give me that opportunity, win or lose I’d retire.”
This isn’t a new idea from him. MMA Junkie and Yahoo Sports both noted that Saturday’s callout was Volkanovski going back to the Gaethje well one more time. The wrinkle, according to MiddleEasy, is that his plan includes vacating his title if he wins. That’s his answer to the obvious complaint. A champion wandering up a weight class for a legacy fight usually means a line of contenders sits on the couch waiting, and Volkanovski is clearly trying to get ahead of that before anyone at the UFC brings it up.
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He also gave himself some wiggle room on the timeline. Earlier in the night, Championship Rounds posted a separate clip where he sounded like a guy with no exit planned. “I’m choosing to do [fight], I don’t have to. I said if I didn’t take too much damage, we will probably keep going. So maybe we keep going,” he said.
So here’s where he stands. If he comes out of a fight healthy, he’s open to sticking around. If the UFC hands him Gaethje, he’s done, result be damned. That’s a pretty clear offer to put on the matchmakers’ desk, and it comes from a 38-year-old who just stopped a contender inside two rounds, a fact ACD MMA was more than happy to point out on X.
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As of Saturday night this is a callout and nothing more. No bout has been announced. Championship Rounds floated a fantasy card on X with Volkanovski vs. Gaethje followed by Ilia Topuria vs. Arman Tsarukyan for the undisputed lightweight title, but that’s a fan account spitballing, not a booking.
Quick take
I’m in. I love a fighter who tells you exactly what he wants and attaches terms to it, and Volkanovski did both. He named the opponent, the weight class, and the exit plan, and he pre-solved the division logjam by offering to give the belt back. Compare that to the champions who sit on titles and wait for the perfect matchup, and this is refreshing. The only thing that would sour me on it is if this drags into a months-long “we’ll see” from the promotion while a 38-year-old’s window closes. He just finished a guy in Round 2. If the UFC wants to send him out right, the next move belongs to Gaethje and the matchmakers, and the clock is running.
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