Alexander Volkanovski takes his pick between Conor McGregor fight and Ilia Topuria title rematch
Alexander Volkanovski recently shared his thoughts on a potential Conor McGregor fight. The Australian also weighed the pros and cons of potentially fighting the Irishman and facing Ilia Topuria in a featherweight title rematch.
Volkanovski is widely considered among the greatest UFC featherweight champions ever and boasts one of the most impressive resumes in promotional history. Like McGregor, the Australian also holds dominant victories over featherweight juggernauts like Max Holloway, Jose Aldo, and Chad Mendes.
Given that Volkanovski and McGregor have undeniably cemented their legacies in the 145-pound division, many have wondered what a potential fight between them would look like.
During a recent interview on Submission Radio, Volkanovski addressed a potential McGregor clash and expressed his keen interest in facing the Irishman someday. He said:
"Yes, of course. That's a fight that's always going to be exciting. That's the thing right now, title fights and exciting fights. And maybe short-notice fights. That's the things that excite me."
After being asked if he'd choose to fight McGregor over rematching Topuria for the featherweight championship, Volkanovski picked the former and said:
"Man, that's a tricky one. Obviously, I want that match back with Ilia, right? But, I mean, I don't exactly know what's happening in February. If Ilia wins [Against Holloway at UFC 308], I don't even know where he'll want to fight... I'll say Conor McGregor right now, so I can still do Ilia straight after that." [10:20 mark onwards]
Catch Alexander Volkanovski's comments below (8:55):
Alexander Volkanovski reacts to Diego Lopes' recent callout
In the same interview, Alexander Volkanovski shared his thoughts on Diego Lopes calling him out for a fight after beating the Australian's former rival Brian Ortega at UFC 306 earlier this month.
While it's unclear when Volkanovski's next fight will take place, Lopes is keen to face 'The Great' in December. Lopes' win over Ortega put him in touching distance of a featherweight title shot, however, the Australian is expected to rematch Ilia Topuria for the 145-pound strap next.
Given their situation, Lopes called out Volkanovski for a potential title eliminator. Speaking to Submission Radio, Volkanovski responded:
"We’ve already talked to the UFC. Obviously, the title fight, I’m fighting for the title fight and that’s what it was sort of always going to be... I’m not scared or anything like that, but I’m fighting for the title, and that’s that... It doesn’t really make sense for me unless something happens to the other two." [0:45 mark onwards]