Alexander Volkanovski hopes to prove he can beat ‘new school’ Diego Lopes at UFC 314

Alexander Volkanovski wants to show the MMA world that he can reign supreme in the new era of featherweights.

Volkanovski was down on his luck the last two outings. He suffered back-to-back knockout losses to UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria. Volkanovski’s UFC 314 clash against Diego Lopes will be telling, as fans are wondering how much juice “The Great” has left. A win over Lopes would earn Volkanovski his second UFC Featherweight Championship.

One month before fight night, the 36-year-old is eager to remind people just how good he is.

RELATED: ALEXANDER VOLKANOVSKI VOWS TO RETURN TO FORM IN UFC 314 TITLE FIGHT AGAINST DIEGO LOPES

Alexander Volkanovski Still ‘The Great’ After UFC 314?

During an interview with ESPN’s Brett Okamoto, Alexander Volkanovski discussed his plan to prove that his recent defeats do not indicate the end of his run as an elite fighter.

“I want to get that win back, but I also want to prove I can beat this new school,” Volkanovski said. “I want to do that with Ilia. He’s gone, but I can still do that with Lopes. Part of my comeback story is still that I can take out this new school. I still got these guys, trust me. So, that’s still good for my story. Lopes, young, hungry, he’s on a tear at the moment. Go out and do that, and be like, ‘Oh wow, Volk still got it.'”

Volkanovski is expected to eventually make his way to the UFC Hall of Fame, but he might just expedite the process if he can follow through on his comeback story. Jose Aldo is the only two-time UFC Featherweight Champion, and Volkanovski has a chance to join him in the history books.

Volkanovski is also three title fight wins away from breaking Aldo’s record. “The Great” has six UFC title fight victories, while Aldo has eight. If things go Volkanovski’s way at UFC 314, it’ll be interesting to see how long he sticks around as the defending champion.