Alexander Volkanovski has identified Jean Silva and Aljamain Sterling as two fighters who could be in the running for the next shot at his UFC featherweight championship.
Volkanovski is preparing to defend his 145-pound title against Movsar Evloev in the main event of UFC 333 in Abu Dhabi this Saturday. Despite the importance of the upcoming matchup, the reigning champion was asked about the division's potential challengers during Wednesday's pre-fight media day.
The 38-year-old made it clear that he is not looking beyond Evloev but acknowledged that several contenders are putting themselves in position for a title opportunity.
“Yeah, man, you've got a couple of them that are right there. So you've got your Jean Silvas, you've got your Aljamain Sterlings,” Volkanovski told reporters.
He also pointed to Sterling's upcoming fight against Kevin Vallejos as a potential opportunity for the former bantamweight champion to strengthen his case for a featherweight title shot.
“You know, I think Aljamain's fighting Kevin (Vallejos). So, you know, big win there (could be enough to earn a title shot),” Volkanovski said.
The Australian champion welcomed the competition among the division's top fighters, emphasizing that contenders must prove themselves inside the Octagon rather than rely on calling him out publicly.
“Again, you've got guys, exciting fighters that are right there. And you know, I love that. That's what I love. When fighters in our division, contenders, go out there and fight and put themselves in a position to fight for that spot,” he explained.
Volkanovski has consistently maintained that title opportunities should be earned through performances, and he reiterated that stance when discussing the potential next challenger.
“As I've always said, and as I always will be, if you deserve it and you're the guy... let's do it. It's that simple. So prove that you're the guy. Be that number one contender and I'm going to be calling you out. You won't have to call me out. It's that simple.”
