“You may be seeing the best Volk you’ve ever seen… I’m only going to get better from here.” Now, that’s a terrifying statement for anyone with plans of taking his featherweight throne. But if you think Alexander Volkanovski is just throwing out soundbites for the cameras, think again. The man is a machine, and he’s laser-focused on reclaiming what was his. And if there’s one name still buzzing in his head like an annoying mosquito, it’s none other than Ilia Topuria.

Volk’s longtime coach, Joe Lopez, didn’t even try to play it cool when asked about a potential rematch with the Georgian-Spaniard. “100 percent, it will be a fight of ages, and I know Volk wants to get that back,” Lopez said on Submission Radio. “He’s pretty disappointed that Ilia pulled out, because Volk’s very proud, and he wants it back. He just wants it back.”

Put simply, this isn’t just about revenge. It’s about pride, legacy, and proving that their UFC 298 encounter was nothing more than a blip on Volkanovski’s otherwise dominant radar. But most importantly, the condition remains intact. Getting a full training camp this time. No short notices, no rushed return, just ‘The Great’ at his best.

Lopez kept it real, adding, “Maybe we came back too early after the Islam (Makhachev) fight and Volk was a little bit gun shy, but we’re not here to make excuses. But we’d really like to get that one back.” Safe to say, the former champ’s camp is as determined as ever. Let’s talk about the conveniently timed exit. ‘El Matador’, fresh off knocking out Volkanovski and later dispatching Max Holloway at UFC 308, decided featherweight wasn’t worth the weight cut and bounced up to lightweight.

Smart move? Maybe. A move that keeps him out of Volk’s reach for now? Absolutely. Lopez, though, wasn’t throwing shade. “It makes sense for him to move up,” he admitted. “He’s growing, he’s getting bigger, and these guys all want that two-division champ status.”

And here’s where it gets juicy. If the Australian wins back the featherweight title at UFC 314, the door swings wide open for a champ vs champ rematch at lightweight. Now that is a fight worth talking about. If Volk does pick up that featherweight belt and they meet down the line with both guys being champions in their divisions, it makes the rematch even sweeter, don’t you think?

Are you listening? Because Alexander Volkanovski’s got a message for everyone!

While Topuria is off setting up shop at lightweight, Volkanovski has a more pressing business, wrecking Diego Lopes at UFC 314. And if the Brazilian thinks he’s catching Volk at the right time, the Australian has a message for him. “Lopes is in for a very, very, very hard fight,” Volk said in a recent YouTube video, and you can almost hear the smirk in his voice. “He’s a gamer, he’s a great dude. I’ve got a lot of respect for him. Very nice fella, I’m sure he’s expecting to go out there and win the belt. But sorry mate, that ain’t happening.”

And to Topuria? It’s not personal, just business. “Stay focused, stay determined, get that f–king belt back… I made it pretty obvious that I was fighting soon. We did have a date, as I said in the last video, I didn’t know exactly who it was going to be until not that long ago… Fair play to Ilia, yeah. I’ll go do my thing, maybe we can just make a bigger fight after this.” Classic Volk. Respectful, but with that unmistakable edge.

He’s not chasing Topuria, but he’s leaving the door open for a blockbuster showdown. He continued, “We’ll see what happens. See whatever’s in store for him, let him do his thing. But I’ll go win this title and maybe we can make an even bigger rematch.” Let’s not kid ourselves, Volkanovski vs. Topuria 2 isn’t a matter of if, but when. If Volk reclaims his belt, and ‘El Matador’ actually sticks around at lightweight long enough to pick up some gold, we might get a super fight for the ages.

But first, there’s the small matter to attend for the Aussie ace in Miami on April 12. Can Volkanovski reclaim his throne? And if he does, will Topuria agree to meet him at 155lbs? If you ask Volk, the answer is simple, bring it on. What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!