‘People don’t understand’: Alex Volkanovski considering UFC retirement
Beloved Aussie UFC star Alex Volkanovski has opened up about his future in the sport, revealing details fans won’t want to hear.
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Alex Volkanovski is contemplating retiring from the UFC, but is determined to first win his featherweight belt back before “sailing off into the sunset”.
Volkanovski has had an extended hiatus from the Octagon after consecutive knockout losses to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria left him without his belt and his future in doubt.
UFC 312: Du Plessis v Strickland 2 | SUN 9 FEB | UFC middleweight king Dricus du Plessis is back Down Under for a title defence against Sean Strickland in Sydney | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
Speaking to news.com.au, the 36-year-old said he was targeting a return in April at UFC 312 in Miami against either featherweight champion Topuria or Diego Lopes if Topuria moves up to challenge for the lightweight belt.
“It’s been the longest break I’ve ever had,” said Volkanovski.
“It’s been a nice break. But now it’s getting to that time where I’m like, ‘I’ve waited long enough, let’s get in there’. I’m telling the bosses and (UFC president) Dana (White), ‘Come on, feed me something, what have we got, who have we got?’
“We’re pushing for it, they’re pushing for it. It’s just who is it exactly? It’s meant to be Ilia. It’s meant to be for the belt.
“If Ilia can’t and moves up (to lightweight), we’ll maybe do a (Diego) Lopes or for an interim, vacated belt. But I’m definitely fighting for the belt, that’s for sure.”
The Australian said he was hoping for his next fight to be confirmed this weekend during UFC 312 in Sydney, where he is tipping Dricus Du Plessis to beat Sean Strickland via decision to defend his middleweight title.
“It could go either way but if someone’s going to edge it, I think it’s Dricus,” Volkanovski said.
“I think it’s going to be similar to the first one where Dricus just edges some of the rounds.”
Volkanovski, who defended his featherweight belt five times, is on a mission.
“My goal is to be champion again and I’m very confident that will be the case,” he said.
“This is going to be that comeback story, coming off two big knockout losses and I’m that underdog again.
“People think, ‘Ah he’s too old’. All the odds are stacked against me. I love being in this position. I just get to prove everyone wrong again.
“I’ve never been the same as all these other guys. I’ve always been different. I’ve shown that time and time again.
“My next fight’s for the belt. I’m one fight away from being champion. I go out there and do what I plan on doing and I’m champion. It’s very, very likely.”
Volkanovski will forever be a UFC legend for his three wins over Max Holloway, wriggling out of a Brian Ortega guillotine as his bald head turned purple, and his first fight against Makhachev, which many pundits believed the Aussie should have won by decision.
The beloved Aussie wants to prove he isn’t past his prime, but he acknowledges he may only fight two or three more times before retiring from the UFC.
“Obviously I’m thinking about it (how many fights he has left),” said Volkanovski, who has been doing work for Sportsbet during his break, setting up his own deli at the Melbourne Cup. But his Old Man Volk persona is staying out of the Octagon as he gears up for his return.
“How much do I want it? Right now I’m locked in,” he said. “I know I want a couple of fights this year and I plan on being champion this year.
“I could be champion and say I defend it, do I want to keep going? Or do I say, ‘You know what, I want to sail off into the sunset as champion. I told everyone I’d be back. I’m back. Get a good defence, get a couple of big pay cheques’.
“It’s hard work, it is. That’s one thing. Of course I want to do it and I believe I can do it, but how much longer do I want to do what comes with it?
“Yeah, (being) champion is great. But people don’t understand the effort, the standard I’ve got to be ready for these fights. It’s not easy. It is hard work. It is very, very hard.
“How much longer do I want to do that for? You know what I mean? Right now I want to do it.
“But do I want to invest so much time and energy in the gym for that long when I don’t really need to? We’ll see. Because I know I definitely want to do that this year. But next year, maybe I sail off into the sunset, maybe the year after that, I don’t mind.”
Fellow Aussie veteran Rob Whittaker, 34, has fought nine times since losing his middleweight belt in 2019.
The UFC’s ‘old man curse’ came to bear last weekend when Volkanovski’s training partner and former middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, 35, lost to Nassourdine Imavov via TKO in a surprise result.
Despite the success of Alex Pereira and Jon Jones in the heavier weight classes, history suggests it gets very difficult to contend for UFC belts once a fighter turns 35.
Volkanovski said he sympathised with Adesanya but believes both of them can be champions again.
“Of course I feel bad for him, it’s devastating,” he said of Adesanya, who was knocked out moments after pausing the fight when he was poked in the eye.
“He’s not only a training partner but a close friend and a great human being and champion. “To see that was unfortunate especially when he was doing so good. You could see that he’s still got it, but he got caught.
“A lot of people will go, ‘Would he have got caught a couple of years ago with that same “shot?’ I don’t know. That’s just the game we play.
“For Izzy, he’s going to need a fight or two to get back there. I still believe in him. He’s never been so fit.
“I thought he was looking great. I still think he can get it done.
“All his losses — he didn’t look like himself against Strickland, he was doing well and got caught against Dricus — he’s still beating these guys then getting finished.
“He’s still got that very high level.”
Originally published as ‘People don’t understand’: Alex Volkanovski considering UFC retirement
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