Coming off a victory against Diego Lopes at UFC 314 , Alexander Volkanovski seems close to having his next opponent determined. While there are newcomers to the featherweight division (up to 65,7 kg) such as Brazilian Jean Silva , the likely next challenger will be Yair Rodriguez , a name already defeated by the champion in July 2023.
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The Australian acknowledged Movsar Evloev 's prominent position in the category, given that the Russian is undefeated as a professional and holds the fourth position in the ranking, but chose Rodriguez as the likely next opponent. However, he also made a point of highlighting that no contract has yet been signed.
“Nothing is set in stone. It’s pretty clear it wouldn’t be Movsar… Yair’s name has come up. No date set at the moment… The rumors you’re hearing are pretty much true, but nothing is set in stone,” he said in an interview with Australian TV channel ‘Main Event’.
Alexander Volkanovski says he was expecting Movsar Evloev to be the next challenger for the title.
"It's pretty clear that it wasn't gonna be Movsar. I thought he would be, because he's undefeated. Yair's name has popped up, but no dates are set right now. The rumors you're all… pic.twitter.com/4IpgchPwPC
— Red Corner MMA (@RedCorner_MMA) June 5, 2025
Volkanovski broke record in last fight
Alexander defeated Diego Lopes at UFC 314 (Photo: Instagram/UFC)
By regaining the belt in his fight against Diego Lopes , the Australian made history by becoming the first fighter under 70kg over 35 years old to win a title fight. Furthermore, Volk strengthened his position in the rivalry with José Aldo for the title of greatest featherweight (up to 65,7 kg) in history.
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