Not too long ago, Alexander Volkanovski admitted that he was planning to make his return in December, given that all the PPVs until November are all but finalized. “December is where we’re looking,” the featherweight champion said on his YouTube channel. Now, Dana White has given no hints or indications about ‘The Great’s next opponent. However, it appears that one of his teammates, Dan Hooker, has a pretty good hunch about who that contender could be.

In the aftermath of UFC 319, three contenders have come to light as the next title challenger for Alexander Volkanovski. While the last PPV saw Lerone Murphy shine, Diego Lopes also made his mark at UFC Noche, with a stunning knockout victory over Jean Silva, which left the Fighting Nerds fighter devastated. And then again, there is Movsar Evloev and Aljamain Sterling lurking in the background for their shot at UFC gold. But it’s about who the UFC wants, and Dan Hooker seems to have some inside information.

Alexander Volkanovski to fight an old foe, claims teammate

Dan Hooker has been a pretty constant presence in Alexander Volkanovski’s fight camps, given that both train at City Kickboxing in New Zealand. So, we could take his word when he claimed that Diego Lopes seems like the only frontrunner to land a title shot next. “The guy obviously moves the needle. Diego Lopes slides in,” Hooker told Sky Sports NZ. But why? Well, that’s because Hooker claims the UFC has no love for Movsar Evloev nor Aljamain Sterling. But when it comes to Lerone Murphy, he may just need to get better at promoting his own fights.

“Nobody cares about Movsar Evloev [chuckles]. Lerone Murphy, obviously, is going to have to get a bit more vocal on the microphone,” Dan Hooker added. “Aljamain Sterling, UFC hates him. So we are looking at Diego Lopes-Alexander Volkanovski 2.”

Alexander Volkanovski also had a hunch he could either fight Lerone Murphy, Aljamain Sterling, or Diego Lopes. And since he’s buddies with Dan Hooker, we can’t be sure if Lopes is really in a good spot or if he was sharing the same views ‘The Great’ has about his next fight. But if that happens to be the one that Dana White has in mind, a rematch may just be the toughest challenge for Volkanovski, according to a UFC veteran.

A rematch against Diego Lopes won’t be easy

There is a lot of interest among the people in the fight community to see Alexander Volkanovski fight fresh new contenders. That keeps the title scene fresh, and that’s exactly what Michael Chiesa wants. The UFC lightweight veteran is all in on the idea of the champion fighting Lerone Murphy, but he doesn’t seem opposed to a ‘Volk’ and Diego Lopes rematch, which he believes is going to be a big test, given how the first fight panned out.

“I’m a big Diego Lopes fan. I think the biggest challenge for Volkanovski is not Lerone Murphy. I think the biggest challenge for Volkanovski is going to be Diego Lopes, because he pushed him pretty damn hard that first fight,” Michael Chiesa stated on The Bohnfire podcast. “A fighter of Diego Lopes’ caliber only comes back better after a loss when they’re in their prime.”

Nothing is official as of now, so we cannot be too sure of who Alexander Volkanovski will fight next. However, a Diego Lopes rematch may not be out of the question because the last time they met each other inside the Octagon, it was fireworks. What do you think? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.