Dana White says UFC would support Volkanovski vs. Gaethje farewell fight

MMA-TV Newsroom Summarized with AI Today at 2:46 AM AI checked Today at 6:07 PM

The bottom line

No fight is booked, but Dana White says the UFC would be very supportive of Volkanovski's lightweight send-off against Gaethje, though first he must beat Evloev at UFC 333.

From 11 reports by 8 outlets

Dana White says UFC would support Volkanovski vs. Gaethje farewell fight — Photo via BJPenn.com

What we know

No Volkanovski vs. Gaethje fight has been booked.

Reported, not confirmed

Volkanovski proposed that he and Gaethje both retire after the fight, regardless of the result. BJPenn.com
Gaethje has not decided whether he will return to the cage. Bloody Elbow
Arman Tsarukyan expects to fight for the lightweight title early next year. Bloody Elbow
Kevin Vallejos, who fights Aljamain Sterling at UFC Qatar in November, wants a title shot at Volkanovski at featherweight. Yardbarker MMA

Today at 2:46 AM

Dana White has signalled the UFC will not block Alexander Volkanovski from one more run at lightweight before he retires. "If he's got things he wants to do before he hangs it up, I'm sure we'll be very supportive," White told Main Event. He also called Volkanovski one of the greatest of all time. Asked specifically about Justin Gaethje, White only said Volkanovski can mix it up with anybody, according to Bloody Elbow, so the support is general, not a commitment to this fight.

Volkanovski floated the idea on Who The Fook Are These Guys as a send-off for two veterans, with the lightweight title on the line. Per Bloody Elbow, he has spoken of both men vacating their titles so neither division is held up. It would be his third attempt at lightweight gold after two losses to Islam Makhachev, a close decision at UFC 284 in Australia and a head-kick knockout at UFC 294.

The pitch complicates the lightweight picture. Arman Tsarukyan expects to fight for the title early next year, and Bloody Elbow says it is unclear whether he would face Gaethje, who has yet to decide whether he will return. Everything hinges on Volkanovski handing Movsar Evloev his first loss at UFC 333; Heavy describes that fight as close to pick 'em odds.

Summary: No fight is booked, but Dana White says the UFC would be very supportive of Volkanovski's lightweight send-off against Gaethje, though first he must beat Evloev at UFC 333.

Key points (one per line): Dana White said the UFC would be 'very supportive' of Volkanovski's plans before he retires, but did not address a Gaethje fight directly.
Volkanovski pitched a lightweight title super fight with Gaethje as a farewell for both men.
Volkanovski must first beat unbeaten Movsar Evloev in the UFC 333 main event in Abu Dhabi.