Volkanovski eyeing 2-3 more UFC fights: 'I still love it'
Former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski expects to fight two or three more times before calling it a career.
Volkanovski, who's scheduled to face Diego Lopes for the vacant 145-pound title at UFC 314 on April 12 in Miami, addressed his future Wednesday on "The Ariel Helwani Show."
"I'm expecting to maybe have a few more. A couple more, a few more. We'll see," Volkanovski said. "I'll say that now, have a fight and absolutely love it, (and then say), 'You know what, give me another seven.' But how much longer? I still love it, but how much longer do I want to do this to myself and my body? I do want to eventually sail off in the sunset."
Volkanovski will enter the Lopes fight off the second-longest layoff of his UFC career. The 36-year-old hasn't stepped into the Octagon since dropping the title to Ilia Topuria in a second-round knockout defeat at UFC 298 in February 2024.
The promotion announced last week that Volkanovski-Lopes would headline UFC 314 after Topuria decided to vacate the title and move up to the lightweight division.
"I want to have one last crack and get really stuck into it," Volkanovski said of his upcoming bid to become champion again. "Win that belt, defend it, maybe defend it again, or one big fight after a defense, we'll see, and then maybe I'm done. That's sort of where we're at."
Volkanovski wants to stay active as he enters the final chapter of his career, saying he'd like to defend the title "pretty quickly" after UFC 314. He mentioned Movsar Evloev as a potential opponent.
"As soon as I get this belt back, I'm like, 'All right, when we doing this next one? Who is it? Movsar, you ready? Let's go,'" Volkanovski said. "A couple months after, whatever, I'm ready. That's what I'm expecting to do."
Volkanovski took an extended period off after suffering back-to-back knockout losses to Topuria and lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. This is just the second time he's been sidelined for over a year in the UFC (the first came between July 2020 and September 2021).
The Australian said the break was "incredible" but that it gave him some pause about whether or not he could return to full form.
"I'll be honest with you: A few months ago, I didn't know. I was like, 'I might not be the same guy I was,'" Volkanovski said.
But as he began preparing for UFC 314, Volkanovski said he started to feel "fast and sharp" again. And he believes it'll lead to a "really, really good showing" against Lopes.
"I'm bringing that belt back home," Volkanovski said. "I'm very, very confident of that. ... Everyone has every right (to doubt me). I'm coming off two losses. I'm 36. A lot of people are gonna be like, 'Oh, he's done.' And they have every right to think that - until I change their mind. That's what I plan on doing in April."