"They had better address that" - Chael Sonnen believes winner of Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev needs to call out Alexander Volkanovski
Charles Oliveira and Islam Makhachev are set to face each other at UFC 280. The bout will have the lightweight championship on the line and will be held in Abu Dhabi.
Former UFC fighter Chael Sonnen believes the winner of the championship fight should call out Alexander Volkanovski. The P4P king and featherweight champion's dominance at 145 pounds has seen him probe at options in the lightweight division.
Sonnen spoke on MiddleEasy regarding 'Volk' and the lightweight contenders:
"No. But I think the winner of that fight better call out Volkanovski. I mean, Volkanovski is poking around in that weight class and nobody is saying his name. Now some guys might think that's out of respect and some guys are gonna say, 'Well, you know, he's not even in the weight class.' They had better address that. Call him out instantly."
Sonnen then offered a realistic take on the 'Volk's lightweight chances, and weighed in on a potential fight:
"I don't think that Dana is going to give him the opportunity. I mean, Volkanovski wants to go be a backup fighter, nobody wants to do that. Now we're finding out that they're not gonna let him. If he can't get the opportunity to be a backup fighter, he can't get the fight. Not right now."
Watch his full comments on MiddleEasy on YouTube:
Fans argue whether or not Alexander Volkanovski could defeat the winner of Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira
MMA fans on Reddit recently discussed how a potential fight between Alexander Volkanovski and the winner of Islam Makhachev vs. Charles Oliveira could go.
One fan posed the question and received varying responses.
One fan believed that Volkanovski's definitive gameplanning and fight IQ could be the difference in a potential fight:
"On paper he shouldn't, but his fight IQ and gameplanning are so good he just might do it."
Other fans brought up the potential disadvantages 'Volk' will face in a fight against Islam Makhachev or Charles Oliveira. His smaller size and having to move up a weight class might hamper him against the two elite lightweights:
"The size is a problem. A big one too, considering how fast and how good both guys are on the ground. It’s a rough match up for him. Be fun as hell tho, Volk is tough and is smarter than both of them in the cage. I still think he loses to both. If it’s Islam, I think he has a better chance."
Only time will tell if Charles Oliveira or Islam Makhachev will face Alexander Volkanovski, but their immediate focus is of course on the UFC 280 main event.