Was Alexander Volkanovski planning to pull out of UFC 325? While Volkanovski’s win over Diego Lopes at UFC 325 turned out to be historic, his coach revealed he had suffered an injury before the fight. As such, ‘Volk’ tied the record for most title fight wins in the featherweight division. But amid that notable achievement, his coach has revealed ‘The Great’ had to deliver that performance with an existing injury.

The fight between Alexander Volkanovski and Lopes started with both approaching cautiously. The Australian mainly relied on counter-strikes when the Brazilian threw big swings. With a clinical performance, Volkanovski ultimately won via unanimous decision. While it may seem like just a normal victory, coach Joe Lopez couldn’t believe how ‘The Great’ delivered that performance with an existing complication.

Coach Joe Lopez reveals Alexander Volkanovski’s injury

“To be fair, Alex, four weeks ago, we didn’t think he was going to fight. He pulled his shoulder out. Really. He’s been compromised for the last four weeks with a busted shoulder,” said Joe Lopez in an interview with Daniel Cormier.

While Alexander Volkanovski entered the fight with a game plan against Diego Lopes, he dictated the entire bout without letting anyone notice his injury. With that win, Volkanovski also became the oldest UFC featherweight champion to defend the title at the age of 37.

Notably, Lopez also revealed the change in mindset of Volkanovski compared to the first fight against the Brazilian. He said: “Like I’ve been saying, after the first fight, Volk was sort of second-guessing himself the whole of the first Diego camp. With this camp, Volk was back to himself. He was confident, didn’t have to say anything, it was just old Volk back again.”

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Now, after defeating Lopes twice in championship bouts, Volkanovski should surely look to fight other contenders in the division. And as it seems, he has a few names in mind.

Alexander Volkanovski names his next potential opponents

The featherweight division is currently stacked with contenders like Movsar Evloev and Lerone Murphy waiting for a title shot. Interestingly, as a UFC champion at the age of 37, one might look for high-profile matchups, but Alexander Volkanovski shares a different perspective. As it seems, he is ready to face rising contenders in the division.

“In the featherweight division, it’s gotta be the top guys. You know what I’m like, I want to fight the guys that deserve it. You’ve got Movsar [Evloev] and Lerone Murphy,” said Volkanovski during a UFC 325 post-fight interview.

He further touched upon speculations surrounding a potential fight between Evloev and Murphy. He said, “I’ve been told they’re going to face each other. I don’t know if those are just rumors, but that’ll be great. I’ll be watching that. If my next one is definitely featherweight, it’s gotta be one of those two,”

Both Evloev and Murphy boasts undefeated record in the UFC. And has already stated their intentions to fight Volkanovski in a championship bout. Now, it will be interesting to see when and against whom the promotion books Volkanovski’s next title defense. On that note, let us know your thoughts in the comments below!