Alexander Volkanovski left UFC 333 with his featherweight belt still on his waist and at least two big ideas about what comes next. Heavy.com reported Monday that the champion is open to a rematch with Ilia Topuria. On Saturday night, though, the fight he tied to retirement was against Justin Gaethje.
Championship Rounds posted his comments on X, reporting that Volkanovski wants to move up to face Gaethje for his final fight. “I don’t want to hold divisions up, but I believe we could do this and not hold the divisions up,” he said. “That’s something I’d retire for. If they want to give me that opportunity, win or lose I’d retire.”
He earned the right to make demands. Volkanovski finished Movsar Evloev in the second round on Oct. 24, moving to 29-4 and holding the top spot in Knockout Daily’s featherweight rankings. He’s a two-time UFC featherweight champion, was the oldest man to win that title at 36, and is now the oldest to defend it at 38. He also sat at No. 2 in the UFC’s pound-for-pound rankings as of June. The internet noticed the age thing too. Spinnin Backfist marked the win with a joke about a kid asking his dad whether Volkanovski was any good, which is about as respectful as a meme account gets.
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Topuria is the more complicated assignment. He’s 17-1, a former champion at both featherweight and lightweight, and currently No. 3 at lightweight in our rankings after last fighting on June 14. The number I’d circle is his takedown defense. It sits at 95.2%, second best in UFC history. Volkanovski grew up in Greco-Roman wrestling and built a lot of his title run on offensive wrestling, and that’s a very short ladder against a 95% wall.
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The weight class makes it messier. Topuria competes at lightweight now, so a rematch would almost certainly mean Volkanovski going up, the same trip he’s already pitching for Gaethje. Either way he’d be leaving 145 behind. That’s the exact scenario he says he wants to avoid, though he claims it can be done without stalling the division.
Nothing in the reporting so far shows Topuria, Gaethje or the UFC responding. If I had to price it, I’d lean toward the Gaethje fight. He’s the one Volkanovski put a retirement promise on, and matchmakers love a fight that sells itself as the last one.
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