"I think we should fight at 145 first" - A.J. McKee calls for featherweight clash against Alexander Volkanovski

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A.J. McKee (L) and Alexander Volkanovski (R) [ Image credits: UFC.com and @ajmckee101 /Instagram ]

Former Bellator featherweight champion A.J. McKee has thrown his name in the hat for a potential clash with the No.2-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the UFC, Alexander Volkanovski.

The Australian has made four sensational defenses of his title since capturing it from Max Holloway back in 2019. Carrying a 25-1 record in MMA, the 33-year-old is unbeaten at featherweight, with his single loss in the sport coming in the welterweight division.

During a recent interview, A.J. McKee called for a shot at Alexander Volkanovski and wishes to get his hands on the star before he makes his rumored move up to lightweight.

Speaking with the MMA Island Youtube channel, McKee said:

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"I think we should fight at 145 first [before he moves up to 155lbs]... His last performance was good, I liked it. It was a great fight — I saw a lot of improvements in his game. Obviously beating Holloway, that hurt me a little bit. Holloway's one of my favorite fighters as well, it was a little rough one to watch... Volkanovski, he was the man that day."

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'Volk' quickly earned a reputation for being one of the best fighters competing in MMA, and despite being in the UFC for just six years, he as good a resume as any featherweight to ever step foot inside the octagon.

Check out what McKee had to say about the UFC featherweight champion in the video below:

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What's next for Alexander Volkanovski?

Sitting atop the featherweight rankings as the division's reigning champion, Alexander Volkanovski has managed to run through an incredibly tough weight class and come out on virtually unscathed. So, who can fans expect to see him face next?

Many argue that with his split-decision win over Calvin Kattar last month, Josh Emmett deserves to be next in line for a shot at the title, but since then, another contender has emerged.

Although the Brian Ortega vs. Yair Rodriguez fight ended in an unfortunate injury for Ortega, the Mexico-born competitor was the one who got his hand raised. He now threatens to steal the No.1-contender spot away from his division rivals.

If Alexander Volkanovski wishes to defend his strap, he must put it on the line against one of the two top contenders in his weightclass; however, this may not be his plan. The City Kickboxing representative aims to step up to lightweight in an attempt to dethrone either Charles Oliveira or Islam Makhachev and earn a second title in the process.

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