UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski wants to fight UFC lightweight champion Justin Gaethje in a true superfight.
Volkanovski returns to the Octagon at UFC 333 when he battles Movsar Evloev in his latest featherweight title defense. Should he win that fight, then Volkanovski already has his next callout ready: Gaethje.
Alexander Volkanovski Wants Justin Gaethje
Speaking to the “Who The Fook Are These Guys?” podcast, Volkanovski made it clear that Gaethje is the fight that he desires next should he get past Evloev.
“Let’s do a superfight, lightweight title on the line and then we can both (retire). Then, straight after that, let the division sort themselves out. Let’s make that happen,” Volkanovski said.
“Let’s do a superfight, lightweight title on the line and then we can both [retire]. Then, straight after that, let the division sort themselves out. Let’s make that happen.”
Alexander Volkanovski & Justin Gaethje Are the Same Age
One thing that’s interesting about Volkanovski and Gaethje is that they are the same age, as both men were born in 1988. So, if these two fought in 2027, they would both be 38 years old, so it would be a very fair fight between two of the best UFC fighters of their generation.
Volkanovski, of course, has a very difficult test ahead of him in the undefeated Evloev at UFC 333. The Russian is 20-0 in MMA and 10-0 in the UFC, so this isn’t going to be an easy matchup for Volkanovski to win.
As for Gaethje, he is likely to face top lightweight contender Arman Tsarukyan next year if he does end up deciding to come back and fight again, though “The Highlight” has not 100% decided yet if he will come back for another fight or step away from the sport forever.
One thing’s for sure, though, and it’s that MMA is a young man’s sport. With both Volkanovski and Gaethje knowing that their time is running out in their careers, they both likely want to make one last giant payday, and thus a superfight between the UFC featherweight and lightweight champions would be a good way to do so.
We’ll see if the fight ultimately comes to fruition, but it’s a good callout by Volkanovski and would be an excellent matchup if the UFC decided that they wanted to book it.
Alexander Volkanovski Wants UFC Superfight With Justin Gaethje