Alexander Volkanovski has never shied away from danger, and he’s making it clear that a potential clash with Arman Tsarukyan would be no exception, if the lightweight contender ever makes the move down to featherweight.
This weekend, Volkanovski puts his UFC featherweight title on the line in the main event of UFC 325, where he faces Diego Lopes in a rematch. The Australian superstar defeated Lopes last year to reclaim the belt, and while many see Volkanovski as the favorite, the champion isn’t taking anything for granted.
Beyond Lopes, the division is packed with contenders eager for their shot. Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy remain unbeaten in the UFC, and both will feel hard done by after missing out on the UFC 325 call-up. Still, Volkanovski’s focus remains firmly on the task at hand.
Speaking at UFC 325 media day, Volkanovski addressed talk of Tsarukyan potentially dropping to 145 pounds while he waits for another opportunity at lightweight.
“I love challenges,” Volkanovski said. “He would obviously be a tough challenge. If he could get down there, that would definitely be a tough one. Same with Movsar. Even the wrestling side of things, I would love that. For the legacy, you talk about guys like Movsar—undefeated—so later. Obviously, I’ve got a job to do this weekend.”
Volkanovski made it clear that he isn’t picky about who stands across from him next, as long as the challenge makes sense.
“Whatever comes my way, I’ll be happy,” he added. “Movsar, Lerone Murphy, guys with incredible records, or even Arman if he was to come down, yeah, that’s a challenge. I feel like my takedown defense is pretty solid, so that would definitely be a fun one.”
At the moment, Volkanovski and Tsarukyan are on very different paths. While Volkanovski prepares for the first defense of his second reign as featherweight champion, Tsarukyan remains in limbo at lightweight and is set to compete in a wrestling bout later this month. Still, Tsarukyan recently floated the idea of moving to featherweight during an appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, which naturally sparked intrigue.
Asked who would pose the biggest threat among the names being mentioned, Volkanovski stayed grounded but didn’t dismiss the possibility.
“Yeah, probably your Armans and your Movsars,” Volkanovski said. “Arman’s funny, he talks about axe kicks and wrestling, but I like the guy. That PR run he went on was incredible. If we ever face him, I know my takedown defense is solid, and if they forget that, I’ll remind them.”
Another contender hovering in the background is Jean Silva, who recently picked up a unanimous decision win over Arnold Allen. While Volkanovski praised Silva’s performance, he stopped short of calling it title-shot worthy.
“I thought that was going to be a real challenge for him and he passed it,” Volkanovski said. “He looked good in the later rounds, which is what you want to see. Has he earned a title shot just yet? I don’t think so. It’s pretty obvious that Movsar or Lerone Murphy make the most sense right now. Legacy-wise, that looks great for me.”
For now, Volkanovski remains locked in on Diego Lopes. But if he leaves UFC 325 with his hand raised again, the featherweight king will have no shortage of elite challengers lining up and he sounds more than ready for every single one of them.
