Coach: Alexander Volkanovski’s Layoff Has Been 'A Bit Too Long'

Joe Lopez can’t wait to see Alexander Volkanovski back in action.

Volkanovski suffered a brutal knockout loss in a short-notice failed double-champ bid against lightweight champ Islam Makhachev at UFC 294 in October 2023. “The Great” put his featherweight title on the line soon after against Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 this past February, where he suffered another brutal knockout. Many believe Volkanovski knockout loss to Topuria had to do with the quick turnaround from his loss against Makhachev.

Volkanovski has since taken some time off and will seemingly not fight at least before early next year. While Lopez also felt Volkanovski needed some time off, he thinks it’s been too long now.

“I would have said six to eight months was plenty, you know,” the Freestyle MMA Coach told Submission Radio. “Now we’re coming up to nearly 12 months. And it’s a bit too long.”

Meanwhile, Topuria defended his strap by knocking out Max Holloway for the first time in history at UFC 308 last month. “El Matador” has since called for a rematch against Volkanovski, preferably at the UFC’s debut in Spain, which is being targeted for next year but doesn’t have an official date. However, Lopez believes waiting for a title shot in Spain will be too long for Volkanovski.

“And that’s if Spain goes ahead,” Lopez said. “They have trouble booking the stadiums over there because they’re all booked, out I guess. Now we just really want to get back in there. Because it’s been too long a break. Alex is itching.”

Volkanovski has meanwhile called for an interim title fight against surging contender Diego Lopes at UFC 312 in Sydney, Australia. Speaking of a potential clash against Lopes, Lopez believes it’s the Brazilian’s growing confidence on the back of his winning streak that will mentally set him apart from other opponents.

“You start taking a few wins and all of a sudden your confidence grows and with that you grow as a fighter… There’s little things that can separate them and a lot of times it’s that little mental edge. You’re on such a high and you’re so confident that your body and your mind and everything just thinks and reacts differently than the other fighters.”