“People are gonna wanna see him fight for the title again” – Alexander Volkanovski hails Tai Tuivasa

Alexander Volkanovski has hailed the impact that countryman Tai Tuivasa has had on the UFC in recent years.

‘Bam Bam’ is coming off of a knockout loss to Ciryl Gane in the main event at UFC Paris. Before that, the former rugby player amassed a run of five straight wins with five finishes and still finds himself ranked at #4 in the heavyweight division. Despite Tuivasa’s loss to the Frenchman, Volkanovski is a firm believer that his fellow Aussie is still destined for greatness.

What a gunfight that was… I loved every second of it ! 🤩

Thank you @bambamtuivasa, you made me a better fighter. pic.twitter.com/QpZknXHHaM

— Ciryl Gane (@ciryl_gane) September 19, 2022

Speaking in an interview with Fight Week, the UFC featherweight champ said,

“His (Tuivasa’s) stocks are still rising at that. You know, I don’t think he goes further down. I think he’s still right up there so I don’t think he’s in too bad of a position. I don’t think he’s lost too much there.”

Volkanovski feels that Tuivasa is only one marquee win away from being back in contention for the belt and added,

“I think he’ll have another big fight and he’ll still be in that title picture, I think. ‘Cause he’s a big name, he’s a fan favorite, people love to watch him fight and people are gonna want him to fight for that title soon, if he gets another win which I hope happens shortly.”

‘The Great’s’ own stock couldn’t be higher. The 33-year-old resides as the UFC’s pound-for-pound king following his dominant victory in the Max Holloway trilogy at UFC 276.

Having all but cleared out the 145lb division, Volkanovski is gunning for the crack at the lightweight strap and says he’s ready to step into the main event slot at UFC 280 to replace either Islam Makhachev or Charles Oliveira if either man pulls out ahead of their lightweight title clash.

The Wollongong-native won belts at lightweight and welterweight in his pre-UFC days. He’s also running out of suiters at featherweight having soundly beaten #1 contender Holloway as well as #3-ranked Brian Ortega and #6-ranked Chan Sung Jung.

Love it!! 🙌🏼 https://t.co/XnURZB1rvK

— Alex Volkanovski (@alexvolkanovski) September 15, 2022

One potential opponent for Volkanovski could be Yair Rodriguez. The Mexican is coming off of a win over Ortega having secured the TKO after ‘T-City’ suffered a shoulder injury during their clash in July.

Who do you think Volk should fight next?