Alexander Volkanovski will be the backup fighter for the UFC 280 main event that sees the vacant lightweight title on the line.
Headlining the pay-per-view card on October 22 in Abu Dhabi, Dubai is a fascinating lightweight scrap as Charles Oliveira takes on Islam Makhachev for the vacant belt. Oliveira was the champ but barely missed weight – due to a possible issue with the scale – and was stripped of the belt. After he submitted Justin Gaethje, it was made clear he would fight for the vacant belt, with Makhachev likely being that opponent.
Now, with the fight less than two weeks away, Alexander Volkanovski took to his YouTube channel to reveal he has been confirmed as the backup fighter for the main event.
It’s Official, I’m the back up fighter for the Light Weight title!
See you all in Abu Dhabi 👊 #UFC280https://t.co/KkRCv1N04Y— Alex Volkanovski (@alexvolkanovski) October 10, 2022
Alexander Volkanovski a lightweight?
“We’re locked in as a backup fighter,” Volkanovski said. “I’ve been calling it, I said I wanted it, just had to make sure the hand was all good, so we’re all good. We’re locked in, and we got the clearance to fight. The UFC is on board, everyone is on board, so I’ll be at UFC 280 to make weight, and yeah, looking forward to it. We’ll see what happens. If someone doesn’t make it, I’m there to save the day. If not, at least I’m locked in as the next guy to fight for that lightweight title, and that’s that.”
As of right now, the UFC has yet to confirm the news but it does appear to be true as Volkanovski will be flying to Abu Dhabi. He also believes this confirms that he will face the winner next time out as he looks to become a champ-champ.
Alexander Volkanovski is the current featherweight champ and is undefeated in the UFC as he’s 12-0 and has defended the featherweight strap four times. In his UFC tenure, the Aussie holds notable wins over Max Holloway – three times – Brian Ortega, Korean Zombie, Jose Aldo, and Chad Mendes among others.
How would Alexander Volkanovski fair against the best of the lightweight division?
