Volkanovski Dismisses Retirement Rumors After UFC Victory

“Anyone can achieve anything!” | 06:26

UFC champion Alexander Volkanovski has touched back down in Australia after reclaiming his featherweight throne having defeated Brazil’s Diego Lopes at UFC 314 on the weekend.

Following a 14-month break from the sport, the Australian secured a unanimous decision (48-47, 49-46 x2) victory over Lopes in Miami to claim the vacant featherweight title.

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Speaking to Fox Sports News at Sydney Airport on Wednesday morning, donning a shiner with the coveted belt draped over his shoulder, Volkanovski confessed the triumph “hadn’t properly set in yet”, also opening up on feelings of doubt ahead of the bout.

“The videos of people back home watching the fight and celebrating, that meant so much more to me (than the belt),” he said.

“There were obviously a lot of times (ahead of the fight) where I was like, ‘Am I going to be able to do this?’, asking myself those questions with my break.

“Going through training, the doubts are going to creep in, I was trying to block them out, but they’re going to be there.”

Before Sunday, no fighter had ever won an undisputed UFC championship after suffering back-to-back losses.

“It’s pretty cool, it’s a massive part of my story, perhaps the biggest part of my story,” Volkanovski continued.

“This is the fight, the win that must people are going to remember. I’m just glad that I stuck to it and got it done.”

Meanwhile, Volkanovski brushed aside any suggestion he had considered retiring if he lost the fight.

“I didn’t even think of that,” he declared.

“I never thought of retiring … it didn’t look that far ahead.

“I would have worried about that if it came.”

Volkanovski also reiterated his desire for undefeated Russian Movsar Evloev to be his next opponent — although a featherweight title rematch against Yair Rodriguez is also on the cards.

“Is that what the fans want? Is that what the UFC wants? I’ll have to talk to them. We’ll see what happens,” Volkanovski said.

“I’ll get back in there soon.”