UFC champ Volkanovski proposes 'send-off' superbout vs. Gaethje — SkimNews
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- Alexander Volkanovski proposed a winner-take-all "send-off" superfight against Justin Gaethje, pitching the bout for 2027 with the lightweight title on the line during an appearance on the "Who Da Fook Are These Guys?" podcast.
- Volkanovski (28-4) is scheduled to defend his 145-pound title against undefeated Movsar Evloev (20-0) at UFC 333 on Oct. 24 in Abu Dhabi, a commitment he made while openly floating the cross-division superfight idea.
- Gaethje (28-5) captured the UFC's 155-pound title for the first time in June at the White House but has not confirmed whether he will fight again or retire, though he has identified Arman Tsarukyan as his likely next challenger.
- Volkanovski previously challenged then-lightweight champion Islam Makhachev twice in 2023, suffering a razor-close decision loss in February and a first-round knockout in an October short-notice rematch.
- Both champions — Volkanovski at 38 and Gaethje at 37 — have publicly acknowledged they are nearing the end of their careers, framing the proposed bout as a potential final fight for both.
- Volkanovski quoted Gaethje as having said "What's the point of doing rematches," using that stance to argue for a one-off superfight before the champions walk away.
Why it matters: A Volkanovski-Gaethje superfight would pit two of the UFC's most active champions against each other in a cross-division spectacle, with each fighter's career timeline making 2027 a narrow window. Volkanovski's lightweight history — two prior losses to Islam Makhachev in 2023 — undercuts his case as the natural challenger, while Gaethje's White House title win in June and his refusal to commit to another fight leave the proposal hanging on the UFC and Gaethje's willingness to abandon the Tsarukyan matchup.
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