Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Featherweight king Alexander Volkanovski has one eye on a retirement fight against Justin Gaethje and the other on the next wave of Featherweight contenders.
“The Great” successfully defended his 145-pound title at UFC 333 last weekend, handing the previously undefeated Movsar Evloev his first professional loss with a technical knockout in the second round (watch highlights).
Afterward, Volkanovski expressed interest in moving back to Lightweight for one final fight
against Gaethje. The 38-year-old said he would retire regardless of the result, allowing both divisions to move forward without being held up.
UFC CEO Dana White likes the idea.
If that retirement fight doesn’t materialize, however, Volkanovski will have to turn his attention back to the Featherweight contenders. Right now, he believes former Bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling has the strongest case — provided “Funk Master” defeats Kevin Vallejos at UFC Qatar on Nov. 21.
“I believe if Aljamain wins another fight, I feel like Aljamain deserves it more than Silva,” Volkanovski told Yahoo Sports!. “When we’re talking about who deserves it more, I’m going to say ‘Aljo.’ But who do I think is next? They’re both worthy competitors, and they’re both in a position where they’ll probably go. But I think Aljamain would be the guy, especially after another win, taking a fight against a dangerous guy like Kevin.”
“Silva’s in a great position,” Volkanovski added. “I think he just needs to wait and see what happens with ‘Aljo.’”
Sterling has won consecutive Featherweight fights against Brian Ortega and Youssef Zalal. A victory over the 18-1 Vallejos would extend his winning streak to three and give him another quality name for his resume.
Jean Silva may be the more exciting option for fans. The hard-hitting Brazilian has earned five performance bonuses in eight UFC appearances and rebounded from his loss to Diego Lopes with back-to-back victories over Arnold Allen and Jose Delgado.
Silva has also been aggressively campaigning for the opportunity. He watched Volkanovski’s UFC 333 victory from cageside before declaring, “Great job, legend. I’m next,” on social media.
Volkanovski isn’t dismissing Silva’s case, but if Sterling handles business in Qatar, “The Great” believes the former champion should be standing at the front of the line.
For complete UFC 333 results, coverage, and highlights click HERE.
