Alexander Volkanovski Shuts Down Retirement Talks, Says He Could Fight Three More Times

Back-to-back losses made people think Alexander Volkanovski was finished. But he was far from done. After consecutive brutal knockout losses against Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria, fans were calling for him to retire. Instead, he bounced back in remarkable fashion and won the featherweight title for the second time. After defending it once, fans started calling for ‘The Great’ to retire at the top. He has a very different idea about that.

Alexander Volkanovski Says He's Tired Of People Bringing Up His Retirement

Alexander Volkanovski is tired of people constantly asking about his retirement. The UFC featherweight champion says he has no plans to retire anytime soon and could still fight three more times. During a recent talk with MMA Junkie, he said:

“I’m just a very self aware and conscious person. I will have these conversations, but don’t be surprised if I’m here for another 3 fights… There’s no plans to retire.”

He is realistic about his age and knows he doesn't have another 10 fights left in him, but he is clearly not done yet. This weekend he defends his title against Movsar Evloev, which is shaping up to be a tough battle given how skilled the challenger is.

Movsar Evloev Wants To Beat Alexander Volkanovski Over Five Rounds

Evloev finally got his long-awaited title shot, but he is stepping in against one of the greatest featherweights of all time. He has also changed his approach, saying he no longer wants to finish Volkanovski but instead wants to dominate him over five full rounds.

“I was looking for a finish, but when I hear that kind of stuff, I don’t want a finish. I want to prove that he’s not special. I can beat him over five rounds. He’s confident. I like that confidence, but me too,” the 32 year old said on MMA Junkie. 

Volkanovski has dealt with elite grapplers before, including Islam Makhachev, and has solid takedown defense. But age is a factor now, and fans have genuine concerns. If Volkanovski brings the same defensive game he always has, Evloev could find it very difficult if he leans too heavily on his wrestling.