‘Needs to happen’: Alex Volkanovski reveals homecoming wish after world title epic

Alex Volkanovski has returned to Australia, revealing what he wants next, while confirming how close he came to disaster against Diego Lopes.

Alex Volkanovski wants a featherweight world title defence in Sydney, and has revealed the full extent of the eye injury that nearly derailed his otherwise dominant UFC 314 win over Diego Lopes in Miami last weekend.

After proving his doubters wrong, Volkanovski is already setting his sights on a dominant second reign as champion, and wants to fight twice more this year.

The freshly minted two-time world champion touched down in Australia on Wednesday morning, hugging his mum and niece at the arrivals hall of Sydney Airport.

Coming off back-to-back knockout defeats, Volk put in a vintage performance to win back his title, but the full magnitude of his unanimous decision win didn’t sink in until he saw his mum, Mary, at the airport.

Alexander Volkanovski wants a homecoming fight. Picture: Jeff Bottari/Zuffa LLC

“I haven’t been able to soak it up at all, it’s been a weird one for me,” he told Code Sports. “It’s not just about getting the belt back, it’s about so much more than that.

“It represents what I’ve done and who I’m doing it for. That means more, coming home and taking the win and that success back to my family and friends – that’s what excites me.

“There’s a lot of people around the world who care, and I know that, but I just wanted to come home.

“I got (the belt) back, but it’s everything else around it that’s more important. I’m bigger than that – my family is what really matters, but I hope the message has inspired.”

Volkanovski hadn’t touched a drop of alcohol since early January as he knuckled down for the most important fight of his career.

Volkanovski with his mum, Mary, and niece, also Mary, at Sydney Airport on Wednesday morning. Picture: Brendan Bradford

Covered in blood, sweat and tears, he wore his UFC-issued fight kit to his after party at a nightclub in Miami and said he’s hanging out for a six pack of cold beer and a good feed this weekend.

The Wollongong local needed stitches around his eyes and inside his mouth, and initially feared he had broken his right hand early in the win over Lopes.

The hand is tender, but Volkanovski confirmed to Code Sports on Wednesday that there’s no serious injury.

Undefeated featherweight Movsar Evloev shapes as a likely next opponent, with Volkanovski wanting to return to action as soon as possible.

Volk takes pics with fans after landing back in Australia. Picture: Brendan Bradford

Volkanovski says he lost vision in the fourth round against Lopes. Picture: Megan Briggs/Getty Images

The birth of his fourth daughter, due in September, will be a factor in when he is able to fight again, with the featherweight great needing to travel to Thailand or New Zealand for at least some of his fight camp.

The UFC is scheduled to head back to Perth later this year, and while no dates have been officially confirmed for a return to Sydney, Volkanovski is desperate to defend the belt in his hometown.

“I think that needs to happen,” he said of fighting in Sydney. “I can’t think of a perfect person to fight just yet, but I definitely know I want to fight and defend in Sydney.

“Whether they can make that happen in time for the next fight, I don’t know, but that’s something that has to happen.”

Volkanovski hasn’t fought in Sydney since a late-notice 2017 win over Kiwi Shane Young. Picture: Josh Hedges/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)

It was a dominant performance from Volkanovski in his 10th consecutive world title bout, but he was made to fight through adversity in the fourth round when Lopes’ gloves accidentally scraped his eye, allowing the Brazilian to land a damaging uppercut to the same eye.

It left Volkanovski virtually blind for at least a minute of the round.

“When I lost vision, I literally thought my eye was ballooning right up and that it was gone,” he said. “I thought, ‘I won’t see out of it because it’s ballooning up’.

“I couldn’t see him, and he knew I was hurt, so he would come, and I’d just have to bite down on the mouthguard, fire, get myself back out there and fire.

“I started seeing a bit of a blur, that helped and I calmed down a little. At the start I was a little frantic because I couldn’t see. Then I could see a little, which helped with the distance.

“It was a bit of adversity, but that just adds to the story.

“I’m never going to give up. I stuck to it, got myself out of the situation.”

Originally published as ‘Needs to happen’: Alex Volkanovski reveals homecoming wish after world title epic