Alexander Volkanovski Won’t Rule Out Return for Islam Makhachev Rematch in October

Alexander Volkanovski just may get his rematch with Islam Makhachev before the end of the year.

While Charles Oliveira would seem to be the No. 1 contender in waiting following his impressive victory over Beneil Dariush at UFC 289, the Brazilian recently said he would prefer to face the reigning lightweight champion in November or December. That doesn’t align with the UFC’s plans for Makhachev, which include a title defense at UFC 294 in Abu Dhabi this October.

After defeating Yair Rodriguez via third-round TKO in the UFC 290 headliner on Saturday night, Volkanovski revealed that he would need surgery on his arm. However, he claims that wouldn’t necessarily prevent him from stepping in against Makhachev.

“It makes it a lot better opportunity for me to step in there,” Volkanovski said at Saturday’s post-fight press conference. “I’m not ruling that out. It’s funny. These people want extra time off and here I am telling you I’m going to get surgery and I’ll probably going to turn out there in October. That’s what I’m showing you.”

Some observers thought that Volkanovski deserved the nod when he faced Makhachev at UFC 284, but ultimately the Dagestani emerged with a unanimous decision triumph this past February. The City Kickboxing representative is confident he can avenge that defeat, though he admits it won’t be easy to best the reigning lightweight king.

“I’d be lying to say I’ll just walk through him and do this and do that,” Volkanovski said. “It’s going to be another highly contested battle, but I guarantee I get my hand raised. I’m going to capitalize on a lot more things. It is two tough guys going at it. They’ve done five rounds and there’s a good chance you might see another five rounds of it. I’d love to get a finish. We’re both that good that it might be another tougher fight. But I’m looking forward, again.”

It’s important for Volkanovski to have opponents that motivate him, and Makhachev fits that bill.

“It’s a challenge that excites me so that’s obviously why I want it,” he said. “You talk about I don’t need to be motivated but it’s exciting when I can have guys like that in front of me. That camp that I had, I did like 14 weeks. It’s so good to have someone like that in front of you. You ask how do you get better? It’s things like that, that get you better. Certain opponents in front of you that get you better. I told myself where you’re at now is not good enough.

“In that fight, he got his hand raised. Do I believe I won? Yeah I do, but he got his hand raised so I need to work on these things. I’m going to evolve again, and these lightweights and featherweights aren’t going to stand a chance.”

UFC president Dana White is open to the possibility of a Makhachev-Volkanovski rematch, provided the featherweight champion is healthy by October.

“Yeah, I don’t know, let’s see how his surgery goes and what happens,” White said. “He’s at one of those places in his career that whatever he wants to do, what are you going to say? This guy has literally proven himself a million times. Many people believe he won the Islam fight. Whatever he wants to do, we’ll probably roll with it.”