Alexander Volkanovski shares if he's concerned about Conor McGregor's "call me" tweet at Ilia Topuria
Former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski dismissed the possibility of Conor McGregor stepping into the octagon against current featherweight champion Ilia Topuria.
In a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Volkanovski weighed in on the social media interaction, downplaying the likelihood of a matchup between the two fighters.
Volkanovski expressed doubt over McGregor’s intentions, suggesting that the Irishman won't be able to come down to the required weight for a featherweight title clash anytime soon:
"Nah, I mean if he [Topuria] wanted it... But he's [McGregor] not getting down to featherweight [and] by the time that happens that will be two years... So it ain't gonna happen. I don't know what he meant by "call me." Whether they do that in a different division... We all know that's not happening anytime soon anywhere."
Topuria recently addressed McGregor’s cryptic social media posts directed at him after his UFC 308 victory over Max Holloway. Following Topuria’s impressive third-round knockout of Holloway, McGregor took to X with a short message—“Call me”—seemingly aimed at the featherweight star.
Topuria, however, dismissed McGregor’s antics, warning the Irishman not to cross his path and accusing him of perpetuating a cycle of failed comeback teases and disrespectful behavior toward UFC fighters.
McGregor’s tweets continued as he hinted at his skepticism about Topuria’s skill, referring to him as “too small for anything substantial.”
Alexander Volkanovski reflects on UFC 298 fight with Ilia Topuria
Alexander Volkanovski reflected on his loss to Ilia Topuria at UFC 298, asserting that his only regret lies in not being adequately prepared for the fight.
The former UFC featherweight champion, who was knocked out by Islam Makhachev just four months earlier in a lightweight title bid, faced a rapid turnaround for the featherweight title match against Topuria. Unfortunately for Volkanovski, he succumbed to a second-round knockout, losing his championship belt.
In the same interview with Ariel Helwani, Volkanovski emphasized that he does not regret taking on such challenges:
"No. I don't think I regret it... That's who I am. That's what's made me the the champion I was. A lot of people think it's just a bad idea, but if you look at it going in, that's me challenging myself."
However, he did wish he had better preparation leading into the bout:
“The only thing I regret is, I wish I was, especially before the Islam one, I just wish I was more prepared. I wish I was training more and in a better position… Me fighting so soon later, maybe I just didn't get to fight my fight. Doesn't mean [Topuria] couldn't catch me. It doesn't mean that I wouldn't be able to be knocked out, and I was only knocked out because of what happened with Islam. I would've been a lot more comfortable and happy with myself if I was able to fight my fight and go into camp, not avoiding contact and being careful with things."
Despite the backlash surrounding his quick turnaround, Volkanovski believes his willingness to take risks has been integral to his success as a long-standing champion.
Looking back, he noted that hesitating to accept such challenges could have kept him from achieving his current status.
Check out Alexander Volkanovski's comments below:
Check out Alexander Volkanovski's full interview with Ariel Helwani below: