Islam Makhachev and Alexander Volknovski engaged in the kind of superfight that will always be remembered, and it’s likely they will see each other again in the future. But probably not right away.
That’s according to UFC President Dana White, who praised the main event fighters from UFC 284 for putting a battle worthy of a champion vs. champion showdown that rarely happens in the promotion.
In the aftermath of the fight, Volkanovski has continuously called for an immediate rematch, arguing that he deserved the nod over Makhachev after the Russian secured a unanimous decision victory on the scorecards.
White, on the other hand, seems to be open to the idea. However, he is quick to press the pause key to stop anything from happening immediately because UFC interim featherweight champion Yair Roddigues eagerly waits for Volkanovski to return to 145 pound.
” You know my thoughts on this: If you fight in a Superfight, can you have a better F ****** outcome than what we had? Right?” White said at the UFC Vegas 70 post-fight press conference. “When the entire world is arguing over who won, that’s a super fight and it delivers right? The only thing that could possibly be better than that is the guy who’s fighting for the interim title comes out looking incredible, too. So, now you got Yair versus Volkanovski.
” We’ll watch what happens to Islam and see where he fights next. You must do Yair [next]. You have to do Yair [next]. You could not have a better result.”
Rodriguez did his part to secure a future fight against Volkanovski after he dispatched Josh Emmett in the UFC 284 co-main event to capture the interim title. As for Makhachev, he’s preparing to observe Ramadan, which runs from March 22 through April 21, and that likely pushes back his next fight until the second half of 2023.
A potential No. 1 contender’s bout is booked in May when Beneil Dariush looks to extend his eight-fight win streak against ex-UFC lightweight champion Charles Oliveira. The winner could easily command Makhachev’s attention in his next title defense, though White was clear that he hadn’t booked any fights at lightweight or featherweight just yet.
” “I don’t know, we haven’t made any fights yet,” White stated. White said that there are many factors to consider when making fights.
“But yeah, to me, the fight that makes sense is we make Yair versus Volkanovski, Islam versus somebody whenever that happens and, and then you do the rematch.”
Although this news isn’t what Volkanovski was hoping for, it does mean that the UFC has assured him that he will be able to fight Makhachev again and retain the lightweight title. To get to the featherweight title, Volkanovski will likely need to pass through Rodriguez.
Source: https://www.mmafighting.com/2023/2/27/23615300/dana-white-open-to-islam-makhachev-vs-alexander-volkanovski-2-but-not-likely-next-for-either-fighter?rand=96749
