"You wanted me to make an enemy"- Alexander Volkanovski teases Daniel Cormier for trying to spark a rivalry between him and Charles Oliveira
UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski recently joined Daniel Cormier on his YouTube show to discuss joining the EA Sports five-star club. The former double-champ asked for his guest's opinion on UFC 280's main event between Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev, acknowledging that Volkanovski would "make an enemy" by doing so.
Volkanovski, who is looking to chase greatness and join 'DC' as a dual-division champion, responded by stating:
"When I look at that fight, I think Islam, um, will get the job done... Look, I'm the type of guy that I'll fight anyone. I just want to fight for that belt... What's more likely for me? I'll be honest. You know, with someone like Charles, I think he defends pretty quickly... Again, Charles, I think if he wins, he fights early next year. Islam wins, I feel it's more mid-year, and I don't want to wait that long."
Alexander Volkanovski is currently the No.2-ranked pound-for-pound fighter in the world. Charles Oliveira is the unofficial lightweight champion, after having his title stripped for missing weight, and the No.4-rankedpound-for-pound fighter.
Volkanovski later broke down both fighters' styles and stated that he felt a matchup with Oliveira is better for his career. While signing off, he joked with Cormier about trying to create a new enemy for him, stating (starting at the the 17:00 mark):
"I just feel bad man. You wanted me to make an enemy when we're talking about Charles. I didn't do it — I'm too bloody nice.
Watch Alexander Volkanovski's full appearance on Daniel Cormier's YouTube channel below:
Can Alexander Volkanovski become a double champ?
Alexander Volkanovski has been hinting at a move to lightweight since defeating Max Holloway for the third time at UFC 276. He has stated that he plans to be the backup at UFC 280, a claim he doubled down on while speaking with Cormier.
Alexander Volkanovski told Daniel Cormier that he plans to be the backup at UFC 280.
Volkanovski has shown that he is willing to fight whoever, and this announcement supports that claim. Not only would he face the challenge of moving up a weight class, but he wouldn't know which opponent he was training for.
Imagine willingly trying to prepare for Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev at the same time.
@alexvolkanovski wants champ-champ status bad. twitter.com/MMAJunkie/stat…
While it is unlikely that Volkanovski will fight at UFC 280, he could very well get the winner of that matchup. Achieving double champ status is very difficult, but Volkanovski has the talent to accomplish it. Getting through Oliveira or Makhachev will be no easy task, but it wouldn't be surprising to see Volkanovski become the fifth double-champ in UFC history.