‘He’s paid his dues’: Volkanovski elated to protect featherweight title in opposition to Aljamain Sterling

One in every of the advantages of combating all over two weight divisions is there is just not this kind of thing as a lack of attainable opponents.

UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski underscored his repute as regarded as one of many sport’s top warring parties last weekend in Las Vegas, scoring a conclusive third-spherical TKO procure in opposition to Mexican challenger Yair Rodriguez. Afterwards, he was once approached by the unbeaten Ilia Topuria who’s trying to obtain his have confidence shot on the 145-pound champion, despite the Australian openly admitting that he’s pursuing a 2d shot at lightweight champion Islam Makhachev.

However whereas Volk could well very effectively be sidelined a number of months whereas he has moderately minor surgical operation on his arm, there is one more man waiting within the wings: UFC bantamweight champion Aljamain Sterling. The Fresh Yorker is due to this of protect his 135-pound title in opposition to Sean O’Malley later this summer, after which he has hinted that a transfer to 145-pounds could well very effectively be on the playing cards because the bantamweight restrict turns into that diminutive bit more no longer easy to finish.

And as at this time as he is an active member of the UFC’s featherweight fold, Volkanovski says that he deserves a shot on the title.

“Aljo’s in a disclose where if he gets — what number of defences that’ll be, that’ll be four or 5 — four defences I mediate — if he was once to rob out Sean O’Malley, and I mediate that’d be gargantuan for his occupation, that’s positively one more one,” Volk talked about on his non-public YouTube channel, as mighty by LowKick MMA.

“As I’ve already talked about, if he does that, he’s paid his dues. He deserves it. So I’ll positively welcome him to featherweight. I mediate he doesn’t have to warfare through anyone. I mediate he can wander straight to me and let’s look if he takes the loss and stays at 145 or takes the loss and tries to return down to bantamweight.”

Ultimate month, Sterling talked about by activity of Sports activities Illustrated that “[UFC 292] is perchance my last warfare at bantamweight …. [even if] I didn’t procure my hand raised, it rattling certain [isn’t] due to this of Sean O’Malley working me out of the division. This sh*t is getting outmoded, man. It hurts. It’s the weight lower.”

Sterling takes on Sean O’Malley within the UFC 292 significant match on the TD Backyard in Boston on August 19.

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