Alex Volkanovski eyes “exciting” lightweight return with Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway happening next: “Maybe Charles Oliveira”

Alex Volkanovski is eyeing an ‘exciting’ lightweight return with Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway happening next.

The former UFC featherweight champion, Volkanovski (26-4 MMA), has lost his last two bouts inside of the Octagon. In October of 2023, at UFC 294, Islam Makachev (26-1 MMA) defeated Volkanovski by KO at 3:06 of Round 1. Then again in February of this year at UFC 298, it was the undefeated Ilia Topuria (15-0 MMA) KO’ing ‘The Great’ at 3:32 of Round 2.

Following the 2 losses, both the UFC and Alex Volkanovski were in agreement that the best antidote was to take some time off.

It appears that the Australian is now looking to get back in the cage and looking to do so at lightweight.

Volkanovski, speaking with ‘Fox Sports Australia’ shared:

“I’ve heard Ilia and Max is confirmed so I need to talk with the UFC and see what’s going on. I’d said I wanted some time off, and the UFC wanted me to take some time off, so if that fight is made I need to be okay with it. I can’t expect the UFC to wait for me. But if they are going to do Ilia and Max, I just hoped it would be earlier because I want to fight this year, I don’t want to wait.”

It should be noted that the UFC have yet to confirm the Ilia Topuria vs. Max Holloway (26-7 MMA) is a go.

Continuing, ‘The Great’ looked at the lightweight division advising (h/t MMAMania):

“So if there is no title fight until next year then I need something exciting — maybe Charles Oliveira. There are others but I think Michael Chandler will keep waiting for Conor McGregor and I think Dustin Poirier and Justin Gaethje also want to wait a bit. There is nobody (at featherweight) that excites me, or that I haven’t fought already. And they’ve said my next one there is the title fight.”

Who would you like to see Alex Volkanovski fight next?

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