UFC president Dana White dropped by the boys of Submission Radio while in Las Vegas this weekend to discuss a number of subjects.
Included among the key moments of the interview was White being asked about the first title defense for reigning UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski.
Volkanovski won the title from Max Holloway late last year, and White has his likely next opponent in mind.
“Yeah the next fight is Holloway, the rematch with Holloway,” White said.
As for where it could happen, that is also pretty close to being finalized.
“Sure, sure, I don’t know, but we’ll do it there (in Australia),” White added. “Like I said, we’re going to bring real fights there.”
Another key piece of news recently released was Robert Whittaker’s removal from UFC 248 and a planned bout with Jared Cannonier.
White said Darren Till is being looked at as a possible replacement.
“Yeah, listen, Till’s a bad boy,” he said. “He can fight any of the top guys right now. You know, we’ll see how this plays out.”
As for Whittaker, White is going to let the former champion discuss what caused his exit.
“Let me put it to you this way, that’s personal, for Whittaker,” White said. “If Whittaker wants to talk about that, he can. But I’ll tell you this, when you talk about somebody who’s priorities are in the right place, who is completely selfless and down to the core a good human being, that’s Robert Whittaker. The reason Robert Whittaker is not fighting in this fight is one of the most unselfish things I’ve ever seen in my life.
“He’s a good man, he’s a good human being, and I have a lot of respect for him, and good luck for him and what he’s dealing with right now. And I literally I can’t put into words and articulate how I feel about Robert Whittaker. He’s the real deal, man.”
Whittaker offered this post on social media recent, indicating that it has been a trying time for his family over the past year.
“I’m sorry to all my friends, supporters and family for not being able to fight in March,” he wrote. “A lot has happened over the 12 last months and I need to take some time now to be with my family, slow things down and to refocus. Sorry to everyone again but I’ll be back. The best is yet to come.”