Featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski, having recovered from a hand injury, has big plans for 2024, starting with a title defense against Ilia Topuria and a rematch with Islam Makhachev.
After a year marred by a hand injury and a packed UFC calendar that saw him sidelined for much of it, featherweight champion, Alexander Volkanovski, has outlined ambitious plans for the upcoming year. In spite of his desire to maintain a consistent fighting schedule, an injury suffered during his title defense against Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290, combined with a busy year for UFC, rendered him unable to compete for the majority of the year. However, with his injury now healed, Volkanovski is setting his sights on a prolific year; he plans to open with a title defense against Ilia Topuria, who he has been slated to face for some time, before seeking a rematch with Islam Makhachev.
During a media interaction at UFC 293, Volkanovski elaborated on his plans, citing his desire for an active year. He commented on his upcoming fight with Ilia and his eagerness to square off with Makhachev again, declaring, “I want to be active. Obviously Islam and Charles [Oliveira] are going at it soon. I don’t want to be waiting around so I’ll do it early next year I think”. He also expressed his disappointment at having only been able to compete in two fights the previous year, stating that he’d found the UFC’s schedule restrictive, but remained optimistic for the future, anticipating that he would be able to fit in multiple fights in the coming year.
Recalling his loss to Makhachev at UFC 284 earlier this year, the featherweight champion expressed his desire for a rematch. In the aftermath of that fight, Volkanovski petitioned for another chance to face Makhachev, who is poised to face off against Charles Oliveira at UFC 294 in October. The results of that match are expected to determine who will face Justin Gaethje, the current “BMF” champion next year, a lineup that Volkanovski asserts works in his favor.
Volkanovski expanded upon his future prospects, stating that he’d like to fight Makhachev again at the 300th UFC landmark event, which is tentatively scheduled for April 2024. Similar to UFC 100 and UFC 200, he anticipates the 300th event to feature a packed and historic card, ideally including his rematch. In preparation for any upcoming fights, he is ensuring that he stays active, while not overlooking his future opponents. Moreover, despite his eagerness to square off against Topuria and Makhachev, Volkanovski remains focused on his upcoming title defense, identifying Topuria’s trash talking and fighting abilities as catalysts for his own motivation, saying “He’s going to try and talk his s*** and I love it, and the best part about it is we’re in a sport where you can make someone pay for it. So I can’t wait.”