Alexander Volkanovski spoke about his UFC future ahead of his bout against Diego Lopes, denying retirement rumors. Volkanovski will defend his featherweight championship against Lopes in the main event of UFC 325.
Reports suggested UFC 325 could mark Volkanovski’s final fight and that he plans to retire following the bout. Retirement rumors could be a distraction, especially ahead of a title fight. However, the reigning featherweight champion dismissed those claims and described them as a misunderstanding.
During an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Volkanovski addressed the rumors. He refuted the retirement rumors and clarified his stance. While he acknowledged that his career may not extend beyond the next two years, he confirmed that retirement isn’t imminent.
“I don’t know where [those reports] came from exactly. Obviously, I guess whether people are just going off what I said. I’m like, ‘How many more do I have?’ If I was to get beaten up, am I going to come to fight? No,’” Volkanvoski said. “But that’s not my plans. Unless some things go horrendously wrong, I plan on going back out there.”
He added:
“Right now, I plan on everything going well, getting my hand raised,” Volkanovski said. “Hopefully taking minimal damage, so I could have a quick turnaround and still fighting. The plan definitely isn’t to retire.”
Alexander Volkanovski Outlines His Ideal Retirement Scenario
Alexander Volkanovski also offered insight into how he envisions this career ending.
The reigning UFC featherweight champion said he doesn’t want to retire beating someone that he has already defeated before. Instead, he hopes to conclude with a difficult challenge.
Speaking with Ariel Helwani, Volkanovski expressed confidence that he will successfully defend his title against Lopes. He then wants to face an unbeaten contender, which he believes could serve as a fitting end to his legendary career.
“Whether [it is] the next one taking on an undefeated fighter in the UFC or something like that, I mean, that’s appealing, Volkanovski said. “Maybe that could be one that I finish up on.”
Based on his comments, Volkanovski may have two fights left. Hs final bout could come against Movsar Evloev or Lerone Murphy. Volkanovski showed interest in both fighters before Lopes was named his opponent.
Evloev is unbeaten with a 19-0 record. Meanwhile, Murphy is unbeaten with a 17-0-1 record and coming off an impressive knockout win over Aaron Pico.
Volkanovski Discusses Honest Retirement Conversations
Volkanovski also revealed that he had honest conversations about retirement after his win over Lopes at UFC 314. He earned a unanimous decision victory to capture the vacant featherweight championship.
Although Volkanovski absorbed damage during the fight, he proved that he remains capable of competing at the highest level. It win marked a rebound performance after his knockout loss to Ilia Topuria the previous year.
After the fight, Volkanovski wondered how many more fights he had left. His mindset changed when he resumed training.
“There were talks straight after my last fight [with Lopes],” Volkanovski told The Ariel Helwani Show. “I’m like, ‘Alright, how many more?’ You never know. There were talks like that but as soon as I started training, I was like, ‘Let’s keep going.’”
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