Alexander Volkanovski has fallen into a pit of uncertainty after losing at the hands of Ilia Topuria. Taking to his YouTube channel, the former champ confessed, “I’m getting stuck in training. We don’t know exactly what’s going on just yet.” He is set to fight for the featherweight championship title once again, but the timeline for his return is yet to be decided. Talks of ‘The Great’ fighting Diego Lopes got highlighted on the internet after UFC 312 found a home in Sydney, Australia. But Volkanovski’s manager, Ash Belcastro, confirmed that he never had any talks about the fight. Now, Lopes has weighed in on the uncertainty in an interview with Helen Yee.

In the YouTube video, Volkanovski confirmed that he and Lopes were never in the talks. With the rumor mills churning, the sports journalist asked the Brazilian fighter about his thoughts on Volkanovski claiming that the fight between them would not happen. Needless to say, the Australian had eyes just for the title. 

Diego Lopes, via a translator, replied, “There’s nothing on the table for me, either. I heard that from him, if he doesn’t have any offers, he doesn’t have any offers. That’d be great fights for us to have, a fight that I’m interested in. But I understand. On my side, we have not seen any offers either. But if that’s what the UFC thinks right now, well, UFC stuff changes all the time. But it’ll be a great fight. I think it’ll be a great opportunity for me to go there, travel, and go to his home. And I think that guy has made so much history. I’d love to fight him.”

“Right now, we’re not thinking of any other names but Volkanovski. We have our minds set on this, we’re pushing for this fight because if we want to fight for the title, what better name to fight on our way to the title than Volkanovski?” Lopes told me while in China for UFC Macau.

5-1 in the UFC, Lopes is posed to be a big threat to Ilia Topuria’s featherweight throne, alongside the undefeated Movsar Evloev. Interestingly enough, Lopes’ breakout performance was his debut against the Russian. A losing effort on short notice, but one that put him on everyone’s radar nonetheless. The Brazilian angled for a rematch but the Russian refused, citing rankings. Now, the roles are reversed and Lopes’ prospects shine brighter at 145 lbs. as Evloev’s postponed fight against Aljamain Sterling remains in limbo.

So it’s safe to assume that Lopes might fight for the title before Evloev. His explosive fighting style and well-rounded game could pose a challenge to Topuria that an aging Volkanovski or a Holloway did not.

While Lopes insists on ‘Volk’, rumors are swirling on the internet about a fight against Josh Emmett being targeted to headline a Fight Night in Mexico City on March 29 of next year. And as far as his return was concerned, ‘Franco’ believed February or March 2025 would be the perfect time to step back. After all, he fought and won 5 back-to-back fights since August 2023. The Brazilian does deserve a break, don’t you agree?

But what’s next for the featherweight division? Topuria defeated Max Holloway at UFC 308 and defended his featherweight championship title for the first time. While the netizens matched Lopes against ‘El Matador’, the champ had different plans. 

Ilia Topuria sidelines Diego Lopes to have a rematch with Alexander Volkanovski

During the post-fight interview at UFC 308, Topuria said, “[To Volkanovski] We’re gonna do it again. You deserve that. You’re the man. He defended his title seven times or I don’t know how many times. If someone deserves it, it’s him. So let’s do it, bro.” 

Volkanovski previously predicted that he would go up against Topuria at UFC 312 in Australia. But the featherweight champion didn’t want to give home advantage to his opponent. He said, “Listen, if that makes me feel happy that thinking that maybe I will go to Australia, that’s okay. But myself, that’s never gonna happen. I’m the champion, and if you wanna fight for the title again, it has to be in Madrid, instead of fighting in Australia in front of your people. Why would I give you that advantage?”

Back in August, as he was preparing for UFC 308, Topuria kept the door open for Lopes, too. He told MMA Junkie, “I love the attitude that Diego Lopes brings. He’s always respectful with me, so I like the attitude that he has with me. If he wins, maybe he’s the next one in the line.” The champ was referring to Lopes’ fight against Brian Ortega at UFC 306, a test the former passed with flying colors.

But when can we watch Volkanovski and Topuria fight once again? Well, that remains to be answered by the UFC. Nevertheless, Topuria vs. Volkanovski 2 is indeed the next big thing for the featherweight division. Even Chael Sonnen stood in support of this fight. 

But what are your thoughts on the matchup? Let us know what you think in the comments down below.