Alexander Volkanovski Talks Timeline & Opponents For Next Fight

Alexander Volkanovski continues to say it’s time to move on from his bouts with Max Holloway. Recently the UFC’s featherweight champ talked about who he thinks he could end up facing next.

Volkanovski sees Chan Sung Jung and Zabit Magomedsharipov as the frontrunners

Ever since Volkanovski worked his way to his win over Max Holloway at UFC 251 last month, there’s been talk about whether a third fight should be next. The key reason being that one judge scored that fight for Holloway, as did a lot of folks.

Volkanovski, however, believes he did enough to win the fight, and while he concedes it was closer than their first bout, the champ’s said it’s time to move on. So, who does the Australian star think he could end up fighting next?

While talking to Submission Radio recently, Volkanovski relayed he thinks a fight with Chan Sung Jung or Zabit Magomedsharipov could be in his future (quotes via MMA Junkie).

“‘Zombie’ keeps running his mouth, even though he’s got another one before him,” Volkanovski said. “But I mean, still, that’s always intriguing, that’s a fun fight.

You know he’s just going to look for the finish, which, again, if someone is just going to be aggressive like that, that’s good for me. That’s a fun fight. Same with even Zabit, as well. I think they’re the two frontrunners, Zabit and ‘Zombie.’

But again, they just need a fight. Someone just needs a fight, get an impressive win, and I guarantee you everyone’s going to be screaming their name.

“I guarantee you, if ‘Zombie’ knocks out Ortega, or Zabit knocks out or does a crazy submission to Yair Rodriguez, I guarantee you. Guys are gonna be like, ‘That’s the fight I want.’ You guys will be, everyone will be.

So, that’s the fight I want. I want an exciting fight, and I want a person that everyone goes, ‘This has to be the guy. He’s gonna do it.’ Man, I hope I’m the underdog. I mean, I love it.

I love people saying this is the guy that’s going to take him out, and then I go out and prove them wrong again.”

There’s no doubt those two are in the mix, but getting by Brian Ortega won’t be easy for Jung. You can say the same, of course, for Zabit and his planned bout with Yair Rodriguez.

Timeline for his next fight?

And when is Volkanovski thinking he’ll fight next? The 31 year-old is hoping to fight before 2020 is up.

“End of the year,” Volkanovski said. “You know what I mean? End of the year, I think that’s pretty realistic. Again, we’re in pretty challenging times, so to go ‘let’s do one right away’ and go through all the protocols, it wasn’t easy.

This camp was different, very different. There was a lot of hurdles you had to jump the whole way through, and to just do that right away would be quite annoying.

“But let’s see at the end of the year if things quiet down, and things ease up a little bit, maybe the process will be easier.

But if not, if the protocols are the same, at least I’ll be eager to fight, and I’ll be like, ‘Who cares? Let’s just get this out of the way. I want to fight.’”

Provided all goes well and fighters like Jung are able to leave South Korea to compete (COVID-19 pandemic dependent), this sounds like a plan.