Alexander Volkanovski doesn’t have much time left in MMA.
In April, Volkanovski faces Diego Lopes for the vacant featherweight title at UFC 314 after former foe Ilia Topuria vacated the belt to move up to lightweight. It will be Volkanovski’s first fight since losing the title to Topuria, and the 36-year-old says it may well be one of his last.
“I don’t know how much longer I have left in this,” Volkanovski said on The Ariel Helwani Show. “I probably could go a few more years. I’m thinking of winning the belt, then defending. Even winning, I’m thinking of, ‘You know what, I’m done. Because how much longer do I want to do this? This 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. That’s what it takes to be elite and be the best and be at the top. I accept nothing but that. So it ain’t easy.
“So I’m expecting to maybe have a few more, 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 in the sunset, right?”
Volkanovski is already widely considered to be one of the greatest featherweights and fighters of all time, having held the featherweight title from 2019 until 2024, with five successful title defenses to his name. A sure-fire UFC Hall of Famer, Volkanovski says he’s just looking for one final act in his illustrious career.
“I’m really looking forward to that, but I want to have one last crack and get really 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 as soon as I get this belt. When I get it back, I’m like, ‘Alright, when we doing this next one? Who is it? Movsar [Evloev], you ready? Let’s go.’ A couple of months after, whatever, I’m ready. That’s what I’m expecting to do.”
And while the plan is only for a few more fights, Volkanovski acknowledged that sometimes plans change. For now, he imagines just a few fights left, but once he reminds everyone just how “Great” he is, Volkanovski admitted he could reconsider things.
“That could change,” Volkanovski said about his retirement timeline. “I could sit there, go in there and win — I definitely want to defend. I think I want to defend pretty quickly. I want everyone to be reminded, ‘Oh man, Volk’s back. He’s in there and he’s already calling for undefeated fighters, telling them let’s go!’ I’m the one dragging these guys into the octagon, hurrying them up. I want people to be reminded of that and then we’ll see where we are after that.”
UFC 314 takes place on April 12 at Kaseya Center in Miami.
