Former UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is targeting a return to action at UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia on February 9th of next year.
That date will mark almost exactly a full year since he lost his title to Ilia Topuria via KO at UFC 298. Given that Volkanovski had also been KO’d by Islam Makhachev a few months earlier he had then been advised to take an extended layoff from the sport to recover, and despite his eagerness to return, he thankfully heeded that warning.
Now he’s ready to return though, and he’s looking to get straight back into the thick of things in the hopes of winning a title in his comeback fight.
“You’ve got Ilia [Topuria] and Max [Holloway] fighting next weekend, I’ll be there watching and keeping a close eye on that one obviously; maybe get into a face-off, we’ll see what happens with the winner,” Volkanovski told Submission Radio.
“But hopefully, [I’ll be] fighting the winner here in Sydney right, that’s definitely what we want – just depending on what happens [with the title].”
Volkanovski went on to acknowledge that there’s still some uncertainty regarding how things will play out depending on the outcome of that eagerly awaited title clash, and even suggested the possibility of an interim title fight at UFC 312.
“If Max wins, is he going to lightweight and doing the BMF? Will that mean that I’m doing an interim title here against [Diego] Lopes or something, I’m not sure… If Ilia wins, whether they can bring him to Syndey, we’ll see.
“That’s the plan, that’s what the UFC wants, that’s what I want, and I think that’s what everyone else here in Australia wants as well.”
As far as Volkanovski sees it though, the most likely chance of him fighting for the title at UFC 312 is if Holloway wins.
“It’s a weird one, I want that Ilia fight so I can get that win back, but what makes it [more] likely that I fight soon and fight here in Sydney is Max winning… I think the chances of me fighting in Australia in February is if Max wins; the chances are a lot higher then.”
