After an incredibly impressive performance at UFC 290, Alexander Volkanovsky It might as well prove to be among, if not so the Pound for pound are the greatest fighters in the world right now. A totally dominating show on the high-flying interim champ Yair Rodriguez Sure he’s still the king of the featherweights, however there seems to be several paths he could take in regards to his next fight.
Three fights that make sense to Alexander Volkanovsky
Islam Mukhashaf
Good luck this week @tweet pic.twitter.com/zL14Wx4jBa
– Makhachev Islam (MAKHACHEVMMA) July 6, 2023
A rematch that many fans would like to see, Islam Mukhashaf He is the current UFC Lightweight Champion. Volkanovski previously moved up to 155 lbs. in an effort to overthrow Makhachev and achieve his coveted double-champion status.
In a closely contested fight, Makhachev secured the victory in a contest scored by many in favor of featherweight champion Volkanovsky. Almost immediately after the fight, talks about a rematch were discussed, and Makhachev was set to fight on a card in October in Abu Dhabi, Volkanovsky repeatedly stating that he would like to make the fight happen.
Many critics predicted the number one contender in the lightweight division and former champion Charles Oliveira To face Makhachev in the rematch, but the Brazilian has repeatedly stated that he will not be ready in October. This means that a rematch between the champions could be a real possibility this fall.
Ilia Topuria
If Volkanovsky wished to remain in his own division, options appeared here as well. At one point, many felt that Volkanovsky had removed 145 pounds. Split and basically run out of contenders to fight. However, this has recently changed with the advent of Ilia Topuria.
Topuria is 6-0 in the UFC and was recently defeated Josh Emmett. Emmett was coming off of losing a title fight to Yair Rodriguez at the Interim Championship and was immediately looking to quickly bounce back into the title picture. “CCO” was completely outclassed by Topuria and was beaten from pole to pole in a unanimous decision loss. Even one judge’s scorecard read 50-42, indicating an extremely rare 10-7 round appearance.
The way Topuria fielded Emmett, who was among the best in the division and was coming off a title fight, has fans and pundits alike excited about this new challenger. Currently ranked 5th in the divisional rankings, Topuria is the only man in the top 5 who is undefeated by Alex Volkanovski or Max Holloway and this fresh face is exactly what the featherweight division needs.
Aljamin Sterling
Jamin Sterling pound He is the current bantamweight champion and has stated several times that his next fight is with Sean or Mali It would be his last in the division regardless of the outcome. Having always been a big 135er, “Funkmaster” recently stated that cutting weight is becoming more and more onerous and has reiterated his intention to move up to Featherweight.
This will be a huge fight as Sterling is sure to get an instant title shot once he reaches the featherweight division. He is among the most decorated bantamweight champions in UFC history, and by defeating O’ Malley, he will have set a division record number of defenses with four. I beat the likes of Henry Cejudo And TJ Dilasho He will truly be considered as one of the goatweights towards the end of his career. The fight against Volkanowski would be huge for the legacy of both men and provide the opportunity for Sterling to become a double champion. This, in turn, allows Volkanovski to add another former champion to his already impressive resume.
What makes more sense
It seems logical that Volkanowski would stay at featherweight. With another title win under the Australian champion’s belt, Falk will lead the record for featherweight title defenses now held by the UFC Hall of Fame. Jose Aldo. While of course, there is a huge appetite among the crowd to see a rematch with Makhachev, it would be a shame for Volkanovski to drop the featherweight class when he comes so close to confirming himself as the absolute greatest in the division.
Who is a goat featherweight?
Career “Ruthless” Robbie Lawler