Joining Jelly Roll in front of a packed house in Sydney, Alexander Volkanovski showcased yet another talent. He can rap! The performance left scores of fans mesmerized. Is there anything this man can’t do? Now casual fans may rave about Volk’s many talents. But to a few diehards, it’s a looming concern that matters the most: who will he fight next? After back-to-back losses to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria, the 37-year-old Australian bounced back to reclaim the vacant featherweight title in April.

Now, as the year draws to a close, there’s still no clarity about who Alexander Volkanovski will face in his first title defense. Before the July Abu Dhabi Fight Night, Dana White made it clear: “If Movsar can get the victory, he will likely be the next contender for the title against Alexander Volkanovski.” The Russian was scheduled to face Aaron Pico on the Whittaker vs. de Ridder card. But an injury forced him out, putting the much-anticipated title shot in limbo. As Volkanovski eyes a potential 2026 return, MMA pundits have begun narrowing down possible challengers.

Alexander Volkanovski caught between two contenders: Lerone Murphy or Diego Lopes?

Hard-hitting truths emerged when Jon Anik and Kenny Florian sat down for a deep assessment. “Alexander Volkanovski wanted to fight in December,” Anik said, acknowledging that such a bout is now unlikely before confirming, “It is not going to happen.”

That raised the inevitable question: who’s next for Volk? Anik threw out one name: “Is it going to be Diego Lopes again?” And Florian felt that the Lopez-Volkanovski matchup is ‘quite possible.’ However, like many fans, Florian wanted the Aussie champion to face Lerone Murphy, the fourth-ranked featherweight contender.

“I think that’s the guy,” Florian said. The guest also felt likewise, stating that Murphy might get the nod, but the matchup has yet to receive any nod. The fact that Volkanovski was in line for a December step-in has been validated elsewhere.

Icon Henry Cejudo had earlier speculated about the featherweight champion’s return.

For Volk, the clock ticks toward Lopes for now

“I think they’re saving a lot of the good fights because the person that was originally supposed to headline that (event) was Volkanovski and Lerone Murphy, from what I heard from little birdies,” he said on his Pound 4 Pound podcast.

Now traveling down the road, after Movsar Evloev pulled out, Alexander Volkanovski had made it clear what could potentially happen. Later in August, Lerone Murphy knocked out Aaron Pico, who was supposed to fight Evloev in Abu Dhabi. So, Volkanovski remarked, “It won’t be Movsar next; it looks like Murphy in December.”

Even Dana White seemed to have endorsed the potential Volkanovski-Murphy matchup.

But in came the spanner in the works. A month after Murphy scored his 9th consecutive win after his UFC debut, Diego Lopes snubbed the daylight out of Jean Silva in a San Antonio headliner. The win pushed him back into top contention. Lopes suffered his second UFC loss to Volkanovski back in April.

Lerone Murphy’s cryptic hints only added to the speculation. The English fighter tweeted, “Some of us take the stairs, some take the elevator. Either way, same destination.” A fan responded that they were hoping for Murphy to receive a February title shot. So the fighter replied, “Me too, but it will come in due time 👊🏾.”

Many believe Murphy has earned the title shot, but there’s no denying Lopes’ surge in popularity. Fans will have to wait and see how things unfold in this race, one where the Brazilian currently appears the frontrunner.

Who would you pick for Volkanovski’s first title defense?