Alexander Volkanovski has enjoyed an incredible run since his only defeat to Corey Nelson way back in 2013 in Melbourne. Fast forward eight years and he proudly sits at the top of the tree in the featherweight division. He only fought once in 2020, beating Max Holloway on a split decision at UFC 251. He’ll be looking to get at least two fights under his belt in 2021, but let’s take a look at his potential timeline.
1. Ortega at UFC 260
Brian Ortega goes for the belt on the back of a great performance against the Korean Zombie back in October on his return from injury. He really showed how much he’d improved since the Holloway defeat almost two years prior.
He’s priced as the underdog for his fight with the champion at odds of +163 (2.62) with leading betting sites like bet365 and Unibet. This price is a good indicator of just how good Volkanovski is. The Aussie is priced at -200 (1.50) and -188 (1.53) with top Australian betting sites like Unibet and bet365 respectively. They’re both very competitive prices, but bet365 offers slightly better value on the champ.
Volkanovski is clearly entering this fight full of confidence, and he doesn’t feel he’ll have any trouble getting his hand raised on the night:
“The guy’s always been a good fighter,” Volkanovski said in a recent interview. “I talk about his improvements as if he wasn’t good. He’s always been a great fighter and he’s always had a lot of good skills. But I believe he has evolved. This whole ‘Ortega 2.0,’ I believe it. I’ve seen a different fighter in there – even though he’s always been dangerous. He’s always been good at timing and picking the right shots, but right now all the in-betweens he’s just got down pat at the moment. There’s a lot of things that I’ve seen that was impressive, so I’m expecting a new challenge, a tough challenge and a different challenge.
“I’m not going to sit there and roll around on the ground and play jiu-jitsu with him. Let’s be realistic with that. He’s a type of guy, you slip up on the ground, that’s it – over. So the respect is there for Ortega. I’m ready for a challenge. But at the same time, I’m too confident in my abilities and I know where I’m at. I just don’t believe anyone is there with me, and if I’m on on the day, no one can beat me. Ortega has improved, but I just have to prove that I’m on a whole other level.”
2. The Holloway Trilogy
Every UFC fan is probably thinking that a third fight with Max Holloway is next on the cards if Volkanovski can beat Ortega at the end of March. It’s the money fight. The last meeting was close, and the Hawaiian knows he’s next in line:
“Everybody knows that I’m the cloud,” said Holloway. “I’m the cloud over that fight. I’m the cloud over the division. Let them two guys focus on each other, and then let the rain continue after.”
After a five-round masterclass against Calvin Kattar at UFC Fight Island 7, many believe Holloway is destined to take back gold. Dana White was in no doubt that the trilogy was going to happen after the Kattar fight:
“He did what he needed to do in spectacular fashion tonight,” White said. “I think that he deserves to fight Volkanovski again.”
3. Khabib in 2022?
It’s difficult to predict exactly what path Volkanovski will take if he defends the belt against Ortega and then Holloway. Who else is there to fight in the featherweight division? Patricio Freire and Josh Emmett are ranked just below Ortega, and they’re probably the ones Dana White will look at. Unless someone like Arnold Allen or Bryce Mitchell can continue their eye-catching displays.
But the Aussie has hinted in the past that he’d be interested in a fight with Khabib. This all hinges on a lot of things falling into place, though. Volkanovski needs to win his next two fights, and Khabib needs to come out of retirement. We all expect the Dagestan legend to come back for one more fight as he chases number 30, but can it realistically be against one of the best featherweights to ever grace the UFC? Only time will tell.