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Rising middleweight star Bo Nickal has claimed a rematch between Ilia Topuria and Alexander Volkanovski is “official” for UFC 314 in April.
In February 2024, Topuria knocked out Volkanovski to end the Australian’s three-year reign as featherweight champion. The second-round stoppage, which came four months after Volkanovski suffered a KO by lightweight king Islam Makhachev, forced “Alexander The Great” to take time away from the cage.
Meanwhile, Georgian-Spaniard Topuria retained the belt with a KO of former champion Max Holloway in October.
The expectation has long been that Volkanovski, 36, would make his return in a rematch with Topuria, 28, and Nickal suggested that fight will soon take place.
“It’s official,” Nickal said on his YouTube channel. “I know for a fact. I don’t know that it was announced for a fact, but I know it’s happening for a fact. I’m announcing it.
“I might fight on that card. That’s the card I’m trying to fight on. April, Miami.” UFC 314 is due to take place at the Kaseya Center on 12 April.
Volkanovski recorded five successful title defences before dropping the 145lb gold to Topuria, the first-ever UFC champion of Georgian or Spanish heritage.
Topuria’s wins over Volkanovski and Holloway kept him unbeaten, and he is already eyeing a shot at lightweight champion Makhachev – who twice retained the 155lb belt against Volkanovski in 2023, winning on points then scoring a KO in their rematch.
“Ilia and Islam would be sick,” Nickal said. “I don’t know about the Ilia and Volk rematch. I mean, I get it: Volk had to rematch Holloway a bunch of times.
“[Topuria] knocked [Volkanovski] out clean – bad, bad. I love Volk, he’s great. I don’t see a path to victory for him really, [though].”
Nickal was referring to the fact that Volkanovski twice defended the featherweight belt against Holloway after dethroning the Hawaiian in 2019. Volkanovski won all three fights on points.