Volkanovski Names McGregor As His Dream Fight – ‘I Don’t Think People Give Him Credit'

UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski has expressed his desire for a blockbuster fight against former two-division champion Conor McGregor. 

The news comes as Volkanovski prepares for the first title defense of his second reign, a position he reclaimed after his impressive victory over Diego Lopes at UFC 314. Volk says he will defend his title against Lerone Murphy in December, subject to an official announcement.

Volkanovski sees a potential showdown with McGregor as the ultimate "money fight." McGregor’s last UFC fight was at UFC 264 in 2021, as he broke his leg in his defeat to Dustin Poirier. McGregor was on course to face Michael Chandler at UFC 303 but withdrew with a broken leg. The kick-off presser sold out in nine minutes, while the card was expected to exceed a live gate of over $20 million, showing McGregor has massive star power.

While a matchup between the two is a fascinating prospect, the biggest hurdle is the weight difference. Volkanovski is a natural featherweight, while McGregor has not fought at lightweight since 2021. However, Volkanovski has shown a willingness to move up in weight, having challenged for the lightweight title in 2023 against Islam Makhachev. The allure of a fight with McGregor is not just about the money but the stardom that would come with a victory.

Volkanovski Reacts

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"Probably Conor, man (I would pick to fight), a lot of people are gonna sit there and be like, ‘Oh yeah Conor is a boring answer’ but he was in the featherweight division, that era when he was just an absolute superstar. The position you could put yourself in just fighting that guy. When you talk about building your platform, when we talk about money and all of that… The platform you on, you need to take advantage of it and that’s one fast track to getting people to notice you.

"He was a good fighter, he was a great fighter. He was another fighter that his accuracy, he was actually a bit ahead of his time, he was really good, I don’t think people give him credit… He had great timing, great set ups, good understanding of what works and what works for him, and yeah, he was sharp. A lot of that is gone now he’s probably gonna be reasonably sharp but he’s never gonna be the same Conor McGregor," Volk said 

McGregor would aim for an early knockout. His best chance is in the first two rounds, where he’ll look to land his powerful left hand. An example is his 13-second knockout of Jose Aldo, a perfect display of his early-fight blitz. If the fight goes past the early rounds, Volkanovski’s superior cardio would become the dominant factor. He would use his constant pressure, leg kicks, and wrestling to exhaust McGregor, whose gas tank has been a historical weakness. This is similar to how Volkanovski wore down Max Holloway and Brian Ortega in their fights. So who would win?

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