ABU DHABI – Justin Gaethje has been toying with the idea of retirement, and Alexander Volkanovski thinks it would be a fun idea to join him in a farewell fight.
Volkanovski currently holds the belt at 145 pounds, while Gaethje is champion at 155. Both fighters have had legendary MMA careers in their own ways, but are nearing the ends of their fighting days with a combined 65 professional fights.
If Volkanovski successfully defends his featherweight belt Saturday against Movsar Eveloev in the UFC 333 main event, the Australian would love to do a non-title superfight with "The Highlight" in which both would hang up their gloves afterward.
"I even mentioned being like a retirement fight, and a lot of people are acting like I meant the next fight needs to be the retirement fight. It doesn't," Volkanovski told MMA Junkie on Sunday. "But at the same time, if that was offered to me, I go out there and do my thing and get my hand raised.
"I know Gaethje doesn't really know what he wants to do. Well, maybe if you do one more, I can do that with you, and then we go out there, have our superfight, and then vacate the belts after and retire. The divisions can sort themselves out while we have our little fairytale superfight ending and sail off into the sunset.
Volkanovski thinks a fight against Gaethje would sell itself. It doesn't need to be a championship fight, and he would rather have it that way. He can see himself vacating his belt along with Gaethje, and then doing one final dance. He doesn't think any division needs to be put on hold for the potential superfight.
"I think that would be a cool story that's never been done, and you're not holding up the divisions doing it," Volkanovski said. "I've always said I don't want to hold up divisions. I don't think that does. Me still being a champion holds up the division because there are so many fighters that don't really deserve a fight and have to wait on who is next. If I'm out of the picture, then there's so many fights they can do for the belt.
"That's why I'm like, 'Maybe the UFC wouldn't mind that.' We could do a superfight, then at the same time let all the other fights happen. I just thought that would be pretty cool and could be something. Obviously, a lot of people jumped on it and ran with it, and now I'm getting asked about it quite a bit."
This article originally appeared on MMA Junkie: Alexander Volkanovski explains double retirement idea vs. Justin Gaethje