Should Alexander Volkanovski Retire?
UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski has addressed the speculation regarding his future, denying that his upcoming title defense at UFC 325 will be his last bout.
Volk secured the vacant belt after beating Diego Lopes at UFC 314 in April 2025. Now, he will run things back with Lopez on January 31. The champ, though, has dismissed rumors that he plans to retire in front of his home crowd in Sydney. While acknowledging he is in the latter stages of his career, the 37-year-old insisted that unless he suffers a devastating defeat, he intends to remain active.
Instagram: alexvolkanovski
“If I were to get beaten up, would I come back to fight? No. But that’s not my plan. Unless things go horrendously wrong, I’m planning on going back out there. Whether the next one, taking on an undefeated fighter in the UFC, or something like that, that’s appealing, maybe that could be one I finish up on. Right now, I plan on everything going well, getting my hand raised, and hopefully taking minimal damage so I can have a quick turnaround. The plan isn’t to retire, so I don’t know where that comes from,” Volkanovski said
Volk’s Aim
Volk has already mapped out his path for the remainder of 2026, targeting undefeated contenders to further cement his legacy. He specifically named Lerone Murphy and Movsar Evloev as the “appealing” challenges that would keep him motivated. Volk also hasn’t closed the door on a potential return to the lightweight division, hinting at an interest in the winner of the Justin Gaethje vs. Paddy Pimblett interim title fight scheduled for January 24.
Instagram: alexvolkanovski
“I know this is still gonna be an exciting fight, and I think Lerone Murphy and Movsar might be fighting. If that’s the case, I’ll just fight the winner of that,” Volkanovski stated
Should He Retire?
The primary argument for Volkanovski retiring after UFC 325 is the opportunity to exit on his own terms. Retiring in front of a home crowd in Sydney after a successful title defense would be the perfect ending. Very few champions, like Georges St-Pierre or Khabib Nurmagomedov, managed to leave while holding the belt and still performing at a world-class level.
Instagram: alexvolkanovski
At 37, Volk is in a division (Featherweight) that relies heavily on speed and twitch reflexes—attributes that typically decline sharply in the late 30s. Having already secured the vacant belt again at UFC 314, he has nothing left to prove. He has cleaned out eras of the division, including wins over Max Holloway, José Aldo, and Chad Mendes.
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