Alexander Volkanovski has welcomed the opportunity to fight a “jealous” Conor McGregor sometime in 2024, saying of the Irish megastar’s ongoing Twitter campaign against him: “I’m doing things he never has … and he hates it”.
On the eve of his UFC 294 blockbuster in Abu Dhabi, Volkanovski has finally hit back at what has become an undeniable, and growing mass of McGregor insults online – with the Aussie also now happy to settle things inside the Octagon.
Should Volkanovski upset UFC lightweight king Islam Makhachev this Sunday, he will join McGregor as one of only five fighters to achieve ‘champ champ’ status in the company’s history.
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A win would also catapult the Windang warrior into a host of potential superfights with rival lightweights – with a showdown against the ‘Notorious’ at UFC 300 among them.
Certainly McGregor appears to be angling for a fight on social media, where he has increasingly sledged and baited a UFC featherweight champion who he recently stated “couldn’t hold my spit bucket”.
While largely happy to laugh off the tirade, Volkanovski suggested McGregor is growing increasingly jealous of his expanding accomplishments – which includes sitting equal No.1 in P4P ranking and surpassing the Irishman in featherweight GOAT talk.
‘The Great’ has also offered to settle things in the Octagon some time in 2024, stressing he would be happy to fight, and beat, McGregor at whatever weight class his rival choses.
Only recently, McGregor suggested Volkanovski “couldn’t hold my spit bucket”.
Then in a separate post, the former champ also branded the 35-year-old champ a “little sausage” who is “readable, hittable, hurtable”.
McGrgeor also added there was also no way Volkanovski should be ranked No.1 pound for pound – a title the Aussie currently shares Jon Jones – and said the pair should square off to end all debate about the featherweight GOAT.
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Speaking with Fox Sports Australia at the UFC fighter hotel in Abu Dhabi this week, the champ was asked what he made of the Irishman’s rumblings?
“Actually, I think it’s a compliment,” he said, grinning.
“He (McGregor) is saying what he is because there is so much hype surrounding me.
“He sees everything that is happening with me, the way everyone is carrying on about me, and he hates that.
“Hates it because somebody else is getting all the attention.
“He’s jealous.
“Not jealous of me, because the bloke is in a f…ing good position.
“But he is jealous about the attention I’m getting.
“That I’m higher on the featherweight GOAT list, that I’m the pound for pound king.
“Was Conor McGregor ever top of that list?
“I’m not sure because Jon Jones was always there, right?
“So I’m doing things he hasn’t done.”
Soon after, Volkanovski continued with a laugh: “The guy thinks of himself as the featherweight GOAT.
“And he doesn’t like now that nobody agrees with him.
“But let’s be real, nobody would agree with him on that.”
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Pushed on the relentless sledging, Volkanovski continued: “I think it’s also to do with the fact he needs to stay relevant, there is a bit of that there.
“But as I said, it gets to him.
“After my last fight, he tweeted something because my photo came up with people talking about pound for pound, featherweight GOAT, stuff like that.
“And they’re saying it’s not him.
“So he gets out there saying it’s bulls…, rah, rah, rah.”
So what chance you two ever really fight?
“Does he deserve it? Look, I’d love to say that I’m so big now that it would just be an opportunity for him,” Volkanovski said.
“But let’s be real, when we are talking paycheques, when we are talking money … we both get a lot out of it.
“And I’m happy for him to share that with me.
“And I think the fight definitely will happen because he keeps mentioning my name, keeps saying I’m a fight he wants.
“He also knows I’m a guy who fights anyone, anywhere, any weight — literally, any weight.
“So whatever weight he wants … let’s go.
“There is a massive story there.”
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Should Volkanovski upset Makhachev this Sunday, he will become only the fifth fighter in history to earn UFC ‘champ champ’ status – joining McGregor, Daniel Cormier, Henry Cejudo and Amanda Nunes.
Better, too, is how he is attempting to do it — moving up on just 11 days notice to face the man who earned a contentious decision win over him at UFC 284 in February.
Should Volkanovski win against the odds this Sunday, he wants to defend both the featherweight and lightweight titles simultaneously.
That would mean, initially, turning around to face Ilia Topuria for the UFC featherweight crown in Canada come January.
However if the UFC asks Volk to choose between the two divisions, will he fight at lightweight – where a host of exciting, big money fights await.