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UFC Champion Alexander Volkanovski names next fight opponent

Originally posted on MMA on SI | By Drew Beaupre | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 1:15 PM ET

UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski has a clear idea of who he should fight next following UFC 319.

Carlos Prates appeared to secure the best highlight of UFC 319 when he floored Geoff Neal with a buzzer-beater spinning elbow on the night’s main card, but then top-ranked featherweight Lerone Murphy followed the performance up with an incredible spinning elbow knockout of his own in the UFC 319 co-main event.

Murphy actually came into UFC 319 as a small underdog to the debuting Aaron Pico. After adding to his undefeated record with a sensational knockout of the former Bellator star, Murphy looks to be on the cusp of his first shot at UFC gold.

Alexander Volkanovski Welcomes Lerone Murphy Title Fight

Volkanovski acknowledged Murphy’s performance on social media during UFC 319, and this week “The Great” took to his YouTube channel to express further interest in getting his next fight booked for later this year.

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“I think it’s a bit of a no-brainer,” Volkanovski said. “December is looking good…It makes a lot of sense, so let’s do Lerone Murphy, December. Sounds great.”

Considered by some to be the greatest featherweight in UFC history, Volkanovski first claimed the promotion’s 145 lbs. belt in 2019 and went on to defend it five time before being knocked out by Ilia Topuria at UFC 298 last year.

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Topuria defended his title once before moving up to lightweight, which set up a vacant featherweight title fight at UFC 314 that saw Volkanovski reclaim the belt when he took a unanimous decision over Diego Lopes.

Movsar Evloev Misses Out On Title Opportunity

Murphy wasn’t the originally-planned opponent for Pico’s highly-anticipated UFC debut, as the former Bellator star was first booked to meet top-ranked contender Movasr Evloev in the co-main event of UFC Abu Dhabi last month.

A perfect 17-0 in his professional MMA career, Evloev likely could have secured a title shot of his own with a win over Pico, but hr unfortunately withdrew from UFC Abu Dhabi due to injury. That set the stage for Murphy’s highlight-reel win at UFC 319, which extended the 34-year-old’s own unbeaten record to 17-0-1 with nine-straight wins since he fought to a draw with Zubaira Tukhugov in his UFC debut.

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“The Miracle” would present a new challenge for Volkanovski after the two-time champion faced most of the UFC’s featherweight elite during his first title reign, and UFC CEO Dana White also seemed onboard with the matchup when he spoke to assembled media in the aftermath of UFC 319.