“I’ve already spoken to the UFC and told them to keep me active because I’m in my prime and I need to fight,” the Australian said in a video posted on his Youtube channel. “A lot of people say, ‘He needs a break,’ but I don’t need a break. I want to get back into training camp.”
“Obviously, I’ve been talking to the doctors to make sure I don’t have a concussion, but like I said, I become the best version of myself in and out of the cage when I have a clear direction, and a clear direction is a fight. I think January still looks like a great idea for me. Elijah Topuria is a very interesting fight and I can focus all my attention on him. You’ll see the best version of me in January, I promise that, and I’m looking forward to it. Again, I’m perfectly fine, and I thank everyone for their support.”
Despite the disappointing result, the 35-year-old Volkanovski has no regrets about the decision to replace the injured Charles Oliveira on eleven days notice and take the fight with the Russian at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi.
“I still support this decision because I believe in myself and I believe people should challenge themselves. High risk, high reward – I believe in that. I was chasing greatness, and I’m a little upset that just at that moment I wasn’t the professional and disciplined person I usually am. I wasn’t in the gym as much as I would have liked when it came time to take the fight. I didn’t do enough rounds and you all saw the result.”
The lightweight title fight between Makhachev and Volkanovski, headlined by a numbered event, ended in a first-round TKO victory for the Russian, while the Australian’s bout with Elijah Topuria is scheduled to headline UFC 297 in Toronto on Jan. 20.