Following his fifth straight title defense in the featherweight division, Alexander “The Great” Volkanovski (26-2) has decided that in an ideal world, his next fight would be the lightweight title rematch versus Islam Makhachev (24-1) at UFC 300.
Back in February at UFC 284, Volkanovski and Makhachev went toe-toe for five rounds in an extremely competitive matchup, in which Makhachev emerged victorious with a closely scored unanimous decision.
Currently, UFC 300 is scheduled for April 2024, so there is still plenty of time for things to materialize in one direction or another. But, with how exciting their first meeting was, the rematch being on the UFC 300 card would add a considerable amount of value to the monumental event.
First, Makhachev is focused on his 155-pound title rematch with former champion Charles Oliveira, who he defeated by way of second round submission last October.
“You got the Ilia [Topuria] fight that’s always going to be there,” Volkanovski said backstage during UFC 293. “You got that rematch that I want (vs. Makhachev). I want to be active. Obviously, Islam and Charles (Oliveira) are going at it soon, so I don’t want to be waiting around.”
“I think that makes a lot of sense,” Volkanovski said. “Yeah, for sure. I think that would be great, especially with me getting my hand raised on that one for UFC 300 would be perfect, but again, we will see what we can do. But I think that’s one of the bigger fights that you can make. I truly do believe that. A lot of people want to see that again. It was very, very competitive, and I guarantee you I get it done next time.”
-Alexander Volkanovski via backstage interview at UFC 293
Following their February encounter, Dana White spoke on what he thinks regarding Makhachev vs. Volkanovski 2:
Dana White says an Islam Makhachev vs. Alexander Volkanovski rematch will be under serious consideration if both can secure title defenses.
Full interview: https://t.co/1meIEFH6dD pic.twitter.com/zGnVIRphmR
— MMA Junkie (@MMAJunkie) February 26, 2023