Dana White Open to Justin Gaethje vs. Alexander Volkanovski, But Needs One Thing Settled First
Dana White is game to give Alexander Volkanovski a chance to become a two-division UFC champion again before the Aussie retires.
Dana White On Potential Justin Gaethje vs. Alexander Volkanovski Lightweight Title Fight
White, on The Jim Rome Show, said that he’s ready to greenlight Volkanovski’s decision to move up to 155 pounds, this time to challenge champion Justin Gaethje. However, before that, White wants confirmation from Gaethje to learn if he is willing to return to defend his title next year or will retire.
“I would pretty much do anything for Alexander Volkanovski at this point in his career. Great guy, great athlete, great champion. The big question is, what does Justin Gaethje wanna do?”
He added:
“Justin, coming off this unbelievable win at the White House. He’s an incredible athlete too. What does he wanna do next?… I don’t know yet… We’re talking to him, but we’ll figure it out. He’s going to have to pull the trigger one way or another. See if he wants to retire or continue to fight.”
Check out Dana White’s comments about Justin Gaethje and Alexander Volkanovski below:
Gaethje won the interim strap earlier this year at UFC 324, and later at UFC Freedom 250, he TKO’d Ilia Topuria in Round 4 (corner stoppage) to become the undisputed lightweight champion.
Since the 37-year-old has already competed twice this year, he has made it clear numerous times after his title win that he would love to just enjoy being champion and take time to decide if he will fight again or vacate and ride into the sunset.
If Gaethje does return, he will do so in 2027. Currently, the champ is recovering from injuries he sustained on June 14.
Alexander Volkanovski, on the other hand, after winning the featherweight title for a second time, has defended it twice already. He most recently knocked out Movsar Evloev at UFC 333 in the second round of the main event.
After and even before the win, the Australian phenom told the media he would love to get a shot at becoming a two-division UFC champion again. Volkanovski wants to move up to lightweight to face Justin Gaethje in a farewell bout for both fighters.
Win or lose, “The Great” plans to retire and believes Gaethje will likely hang up his gloves too after their super fight. This would allow the lightweight and featherweight divisions to sort themselves out.
Gaethje, however, has yet to comment on the same. If the UFC offers him a lucrative deal for his next fight, he might not think at all about hanging up his gloves.
Gaethje will be turning 38 soon, so retirement makes sense given the amount of slugfests he has been in already. But he just became an undisputed champion, and now is the time to make real money, as champs get way more than contenders. Thus, the American would definitely look to cash in on one final big-money bout. “The Highlight” could move up to face Conor McGregor, who also has one fight left on his contract, or look for another high-profile matchup before hanging up his gloves.
