UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski is keeping a close eye on the co-main event of UFC 289 this weekend, as he prepares to defend his title against interim titleholder Yair Rodriguez at UFC 290 on July 8 in Las Vegas. Although Volkanovski’s most recent outing saw a unanimous decision defeat against lightweight champion Islam Makhachev, he still feels that he has unfinished business at 155 pounds.

Beneil Dariush was forced to wait longer for his first shot at gold due to Volkanovski’s lightweight title shot earlier this year. If Dariush wins against Charles Oliveira at UFC 289, he will likely be next in line for Makhachev.

Volkanovski commented on the matchup, saying, “This is the right fight for both of them in their careers. I think Charles is looking for a statement to make on the next guy. Beneil is on an absolute tear at the moment, looking incredible, showing his skill, his fight IQ. It’s gonna be a fun one.” He also predicted a Charles Oliveira TKO for the match, but stated that it would be a close fight.

Regarding his own plans, Volkanovski had the option to wait for his rematch against Makhachev after his loss but chose not to remain inactive for the rest of 2023. He hopes to fight for the lightweight title again in the future. Overall, Volkanovski’s presence in the lightweight division adds complexity to the current title picture.

In other news, several fight announcements were made, including Danny Sabatello vs. Magomed Magomedov at SUPER RIZIN 2 on July 29 and Ignacio Bahamondes vs. Ludovit Klein at UFC Nashville on Aug. 5.