Alexander Volkanovski is all set to face Islam Makhachev in the upcoming main event of UFC 284 on Sunday, February 12 in Australia. He will try to put his name into the history books of UFC as he has the chance to earn the two-division champion status, just like Conor McGregor did in 2016.
Voklkanovski is pretty confident about his victory and said that he would like to face McGregor after Makhachev as Volkanovski knows that drawing power and popularity will almost always warrant consideration when it comes to title contention in the UFC.
“That just puts Conor right back in the conversations for the belt and all that type of stuff. “For people to say he wouldn’t deserve it and there’s no way they’re going to do that, you’re pretty crazy, right? It’s Conor McGregor, and if he takes out someone like Chandler, you know his name is going to be mentioned. You know people are going to be talking about him.” Volkanovski told reporters at UFC 284 media day.
“It’s good to look at because I plan on taking that lightweight belt and I’m looking at seeing what’s happening in the division,” Volkanovski said. “There’s a lot of potential matchups after this one, but obviously first, I’ve got to worry about what’s in front of me.”
McGregor likely to make his return soon
McGregor remains the greatest would-be ticket-seller for the sport’s most high-profile promotion despite a hiatus from the octagon that has now lasted more than 17 months. An incendiary defeat to modern great Khabib Nurmagomedov followed on his UFC return, as well as a first-round knockout of Donald Cerrone in January 2020 before McGregor spent more than a year away from the sport.
Dustin Poirier, who McGregor had comfortably beaten at the start of his UFC career, surprisingly avenged his knockout defeat to the Irishman in January 2021, but it was McGregot’s own shot at revenge that led to his current inertia.
When the pair met again in July 2021, McGregor agonizingly broke his foot in the first round and needed to be carried out from the Octagon on a stretcher. However, recently, it was officially announced by UFC that McGregor will soon make his comeback against Michael Chandler.
