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

MMA-TV Newsroom Summarized with AI Today at 2:46 AM AI checked Today at 11:20 AM

The bottom line

No fight is booked, but Dana White says the UFC would back Volkanovski's lightweight send-off against Gaethje, provided he first gets past Evloev at UFC 333.

From 7 reports by 6 outlets

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

What we know

No Volkanovski vs. Gaethje fight is booked; Dana White said the UFC would be supportive of whatever Volkanovski wants to do before retiring
Volkanovski defends his UFC featherweight title against unbeaten Movsar Evloev in the UFC 333 main event in Abu Dhabi
Gaethje has not decided whether he will return to fight again

Reported, not confirmed

Arman Tsarukyan expects to fight for the lightweight title early next year Bloody Elbow

Disputed

Accounts of Volkanovski's pitch differ: Yahoo Sports MMA / Uncrowned quotes him putting the lightweight title on the line, while Bloody Elbow and FightTime.ru say both men would vacate their titles Yahoo Sports MMA / Uncrowned, Bloody Elbow, FightTime.ru

Today at 2:46 AM

UFC CEO Dana White has signalled the promotion will not stand in the way if Alexander Volkanovski wants one more run at lightweight before retiring. "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, also calling the 38-year-old one of the greatest of all time. Asked directly about a fight with Justin Gaethje, though, White would only say Volkanovski can mix it up with anybody, according to Bloody Elbow.

Volkanovski floated the idea on Who The Fook Are These Guys as a farewell for two veterans near the end of their careers. It would be his third attempt at lightweight gold: he lost a close decision to Islam Makhachev at UFC 284 in Australia, then was knocked out by a head kick in a short-notice rematch at UFC 294.

The pitch muddies the lightweight picture, with Arman Tsarukyan widely expected to be next for the belt. None of it happens unless Volkanovski hands Movsar Evloev his first loss, a fight Heavy describes as close to a pick 'em.

Summary: No fight is booked, but Dana White says the UFC would back Volkanovski's lightweight send-off against Gaethje, provided he first gets past Evloev at UFC 333.

Key points (one per line): Dana White said the UFC would be 'very supportive' of Volkanovski's lightweight ambitions before he retires.
Volkanovski pitched a send-off super fight against lightweight champion Justin Gaethje.
No fight is booked; Volkanovski first defends his featherweight title against unbeaten Movsar Evloev at UFC 333.
Arman Tsarukyan is waiting on a lightweight title shot while Gaethje weighs his future.