After winning the main event of UFC 333, Alexander Volkanovski said he wants a lightweight title shot against Justin Gaethje.
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Alexander Volkanovski said he is adamant about getting one final chance at UFC lightweight gold after the main event at UFC 333.
Volkanovski, who is 29-4 MMA and 16-3 in the UFC, stopped Movsar Evloev (20-1 MMA, 10-1 UFC) in the Saturday main event to win at 145 pounds and break the record for the most UFC title wins at that weight.
At the UFC 333 post-fight press conference, Volkanovski said the result gives him the opportunity he wants: "I don't want to hold divisions up. I believe that we could do this and not hold the division up. Again, both of our retirement fights and put it all on the line, which would be cool. A little bit of a superfight. Two 38-year-olds going at it, and then we'll leave it all and let all the young fellas sort themselves out."
Volkanovski also addressed the disruption of taking a title shot from another division and said he believes he would retire regardless of the outcome if the UFC gives him the opportunity.
"That's something I would retire for," Volkanovski said. "If they want to give me that opportunity, I would retire win or lose. I would retire, and then it's vacant, so I'm not holding the division up. If I win it and vacate it, then you've got everyone else fighting anyway. That's something I would retire for. Otherwise, I'm just fighting and taking these fights as they go."
Volkanovski is currently in his second stint as UFC featherweight champion, having regained the title in April 2025 after losing it to Ilia Topuria in 2024.
Since regaining the featherweight championship, he has defended it twice, including a win over Diego Lopes before beating Evloev at UFC 333.
Reflecting on the stoppage, Volkanovski said he expected to finish an undefeated opponent he viewed as a difficult matchup: "I wanted to get the finish. I knew I could get the finish, and here we are. We got it."
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