Alexander Volkanovski has offered his prediction for Conor McGregor's return to the octagon, and it runs counter to what most people are expecting. The former featherweight champion did not elaborate further on his reasoning.
Alexander Volkanovski has gone public with a prediction about Conor McGregor's long-awaited return to competition, and his take stands apart from the prevailing consensus. The Australian featherweight champion offered no detailed explanation for his stance, leaving fans and analysts to speculate about his reasoning.
Volkanovski, 37, currently holds champion status at featherweight and sits third in the pound-for-pound rankings with a record of 28-4-0. Fighting out of Freestyle Fighting Gym in a orthodox stance, he stands 168 centimetres tall with a 180-centimetre reach. Nicknamed "The Great," he has built one of the sport's most decorated resumes in recent years, landing significant strikes at a rate of nearly six per minute with an impressive 57 percent striking accuracy.
McGregor, also 37, carries a 22-6-0 record and has not competed in the octagon since suffering a leg injury in 2021. The Notorious fights out of SBG Ireland as a southpaw, standing 175 centimetres with a 188-centimetre reach. Before his lengthy absence, he averaged 5.32 significant strikes per minute, demonstrating the sharp offensive output that made him one of the sport's most recognisable names.
Why it matters
- McGregor's return is one of the most discussed storylines in MMA, making any high-profile prediction newsworthy regardless of reasoning.
- Volkanovski's contrarian take adds a credible voice to the debate given his status as a ranked pound-for-pound fighter and active champion.
- The lack of elaboration from Volkanovski leaves the nature of his prediction — whether regarding opponent, outcome, or timeline — open to interpretation.
