UFC champion explains Conor McGregor regret after missing out on fight
Alexander Volkanovski has suggested he would still like to face Conor McGregor despite the UFC star's weight switch.
McGregor reigned as a two-weight champion during the height of his UFC career, including in the 145lb division which is now ruled by Volkanovski. The Irishman has since announced his intention to move up to 170lb in his comeback fight against Michael Chandler which is being targeted for a date this year.
Volkanovski recently stepped up to 155lb and challenge for the title against Islam Makhachev but fell short, but it is a division in which he could potentially meet McGregor. But when asked who he would loved to have fought before the end of his UFC career, he admitted a meeting with the Irishman would have been a fan-favourite.
“It’s pretty easy for me in saying Conor McGregor because he was in featherweight,” Volkanovski said on The MMA Fan Podcast. “He was a featherweight. We’ve got to remember the champions I’ve beat. I’ve beat every other champion in the featherweight division. The only champ I haven’t fought in the featherweight division is Conor McGregor.
"Conor McGregor in his prime in featherweight division would obviously be the all-time – I’m sure everyone would want to see that right now. If we could make that happen right now, somehow get prime Conor vs. prime Volk, it would be pretty special. Everyone’s going to talk about the money, and that’s why you only want that fight.
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"Yeah, of course there’s money in it, the circus around it, the hype, all of that. But you talk about legacy, you know then I would have beaten every featherweight champion, and I plan on having the most defences as well.”
Alexander Volkanovski wants to face Conor McGregor (Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)Who would have won if the pair met at 145lb - Conor McGregor or Alexander Volkanovski? Let us know in the comments section below
McGregor was forced to go through some extremely harsh weight cuts to make 145lb earlier in his career and it is extremely unlikely he would consider a title shot against the Australian champion. However a future fight could take place at 155lb, despite it being expected that the 34-year-old will eye a career resurgence at 170lb.
And his coach John Kavanagh believes staying at a bigger weight will encourage further longevity in his career going forward, having been unhappy with his drastic cuts. “You might have seen some extreme pictures of Conor from years ago when he was fighting in the lower weight classes in the UFC," Kavanagh said on an Instagram live session. "They were very extreme and they were all done under the eyes of a medical professional.
"Even he himself wouldn’t ever go back to those weight classes now. “It’s not healthy, and it’s not for the longterm. I would encourage you to look at his more recent pictures he’s putting up on Instagram. Look how big and strong that looks. That’s what it is to be a fighter, get big, get strong, and be healthy for life."
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