Alexander Volkanovski is at the peak of his powers now. He is coming off a dominant win against Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290. The Australian champion has gone through his challengers at 145 like a hot knife going through butter.
Before UFC 292, there was a lot of hype around the idea of a clash between Aljamain Sterling and Volkanovski. Due to Sterling losing his title to Sean O’Malley, we won’t see the two fighters clash for now.
Alexander Volkanovski Featherweight Kingpin
Currently, Volkanovski is ranked number one in the pound for pound rankings in the UFC. The 34-year-old has a professional record of 26-2 and is undefeated at featherweight. Here’s as well-rounded as it gets with his striking and grappling being elite. He has beaten the likes of Max Holloway, Brain Ortega, and Rodriguez. He is one of the greatest fighters the UFC has ever seen. It’s not just because he’s winning a lot of fights; it’s that he is dominating every single one. The only blemish in a near-perfect run is his loss to current lightweight champion Islam Makhachev. It was a very close fight, with the MMA world split on who was victorious. It is safe to assume that Volkanovski will continue to further his legacy with a great many more great performances.
Why the Fight Won’t Happen
Sterling is one of the best bantamweights the UFC has ever seen. Often not getting the respect he deserves, the American had a successful title run, with wins over TJ Dillashaw and Henry Cejudo being the high points. Sterling is massive for his weight class, and it seems inevitable that he will eventually move up to featherweight. Leading up to his fight against O’Malley, if he were to win, he would have the opportunity to become a double champion and face Volkanovski. Yet speaking on his YouTube channel, Volkanovski doesn’t seem that interested in a bout against Sterling.
“That’s a big, big fight. That’s not happening. You never know; if he had had a big win, he could have taken Ilia’s spot.”
What’s Next For Volkanovski?
Looking at who the featherweight champion could face, there seems to be only so many exciting options. The obvious choice is Ilia Topuria, who is coming off a win against Josh Emmett, and both fighters seem interested in the matchup. Another option is the winnier of Holloway versus The Korean Zombie. However, Volkanovski has already beaten both convincingly. Finally, we could have a rematch with Makhachev, which many fans would get behind.
It is a real shame that he may never see Volkanovski and Sterling fight after the losss because they are both elite fighters, but anything can happen in the UFC.
Featured image credits to Embed from Getty Images and Embed from Getty Images
