Former UFC champion Alexander Volkanovski says he has a few more fights left in him before considering retirement.
“The Great” has been out of the cage since losing his title to Ilia Topuria in 2024 at UFC 298, where Volkanovski suffered his second consecutive loss. Volkanovski sought a rematch, but the chances of that happening are slim, as Topuria is set to vacate the featherweight title to move up to the lightweight division.
Although Volkanovski will not face his former rival, he will be offered a chance to reclaim his title when he returns to the octagon to battle Diego Lopes for the featherweight belt at UFC 314.
“I had a big time off, a big break, and wasn’t training as much. So then you think, ‘Is this going to start being a problem now?'” Volkanovski acknowledged Wednesday on Uncrowned’s The Ariel Helwani Show.
“I’ll be honest with you, a few months ago, I didn’t know — I might not be the same guy I was. But that doesn’t mean I can’t win. I could do this, this, this. I’ll be strategic; I’ve always been like that. Now I’m like, ‘Wait a second, I feel great.’ I can’t believe how good I’m feeling, how fast and sharp I’m feeling. So it’s great; I’m in a great position.”
“Even if I win, I’m thinking, ‘You know what? I’m done,'” Volkanovski said. “Because how much longer do I want to do this? It ain’t easy, especially to be at a level that I’m at, where my expectations, my normal, is very hard work. It hurts, you’re in pain, you get stuck in [the mindset of] that’s what it takes to be elite, to be the best, and to stay at the top. I accept nothing but that. So it ain’t easy.
“I’m expecting to maybe have a few more [fights], a couple more, a few more. We’ll see. I’ll say that now — I have a fight and absolutely love it; you know what? Give me another seven. But how much longer? I still love it, but how much longer do I want to do this to myself and my body? I do want to eventually sail off into the sunset, right? I’ve already started that — I’m here on the farm, I’ve enjoyed the last year. It’s been incredible. I was able to grow outside of fighting so much.”
Volkanovski has been out of the cage and training camp for over a year and had to begin serious training earlier this year to get his weight right. Although he is glad to be coming back, the rigorous training has him wondering how much longer he has before retiring.
“Even if I win, I’m thinking, ‘You know what? I’m done,'” Volkanovski said. “Because how much longer do I want to do this? It ain’t easy, especially to be at a level that I’m at, where my expectations, my normal, is very hard work. It hurts, you’re in pain, you get stuck in [the mindset of] that’s what it takes to be elite, to be the best, and to stay at the top. I accept nothing but that. So it ain’t easy.
“I’m expecting to maybe have a few more [fights], a couple more, a few more. We’ll see. I’ll say that now — I have a fight and absolutely love it; you know what? Give me another seven. But how much longer? I still love it, but how much longer do I want to do this to myself and my body? I do want to eventually sail off into the sunset, right? I’ve already started that — I’m here on the farm, I’ve enjoyed the last year. It’s been incredible. I was able to grow outside of fighting so much.”
For now, Volkanovski is excited to step back into the cage and has begun making plans to defend his title if he successfully defeats Lopes at UFC 314. He plans to face Movsar Evloev afterward and two more opponents before retiring.
“I’m really looking forward to that, but I want to have one last crack and really get stuck into it,” Volkanovski said. “Win that belt, defend it, maybe defend it again. Maybe one big fight after a defense, we’ll see. Then maybe I’m done. That’s sort of where we’re at. But I want to be active even as soon as I get this belt. When I get it back, I’m like, ‘Alright, when are we doing this next one? Who is it? Movsar [Evloev], you ready? Let’s go.’ A couple of months after [UFC 314], whatever, I’m ready. That’s what I’m expecting to do.”
Volkanovski thinks he could have two or three quality title defenses left, assuming he wins the vacant title against Lopes this spring. In 30 fights, he’s suffered only four defeats while cementing his place among the greats. He plans to keep his defeats to a minimum and retire in grand style.
