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Ex-Champ Alexander Volkanovski Teases Boss Dana White After UFC 311 Switch-Up

Former UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski had a little fun with Dana White in light of UFC 311's Pay-Per-View switch-up.

Zain Bando

Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images

Former UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski, like the rest of the MMA community, got wind of Islam Makhachev fighting Renato Moicano on less than a day's notice when UFC CEO Dana White took to social media to review the changes to UFC 311.

Volkanovski Teases White After UFC 311 Change

Volkanovski, who has not fought since losing to Ilia Topuria last February, was itching to get back into the Octagon despite fans advising the ex-champion against it. In any event, Volkanovski decided to play along and stir Instagram controversy in the comments section.

Beneil Dariush Reacts to Losing Out on Renato Moicano Fight at UFC 311

"Why did no one call me?" Volkanovski asked in a comment which has now eclipsed 36,000 likes and counting.

Volkanovski took his playful antics a step further, again with the likelihood of attracting engagement. It's what he got.

For now, UFC 311 rolls on without Volkanovski as Moicano attempts to shock the world as a hefty betting underdog against the consensus pound-for-pound No. 1 fighter in MMA. Moicano took to 'X' to share his excitement about the opportunity and express his belief that he will be the one to dethrone Makhachev.

"Hey guess what? I will be world champion tomorrow! God is so good! Thank you all the support," Moicano tweeted.

As for Tsarukyan, who suffered a back injury during his attempt to make championship weight, he was highly apologetic toward the UFC and his fans. He assured his followers he'll get a title shot when he becomes 100 percent healthy.

Former UFC Champion Announces Retirement After 13 Years

"UFC and UFC fans, I regret to inform everyone that the news is that I had to pull out of UFC 311 with a back injury is true," Tsarukyan wrote. "This was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make in my fighting career. I would like to thank the UFC for understanding, and I look forward to competing for my first UFC Championship in the future. Thank you all for your support."

After an uncertain week for the promotion, fight day is nearly here and the dust will settle soon.

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Zain Bando
ZAIN BANDO

Zain Bando is a writer for MMA Knockout, part of the Sports Illustrated/Minute Media umbrella. He has covered combat sports since 2019 for notable outlets BJPenn.com and FanSided MMA. He also co-hosts a podcast called "The MMA Outsiders," part of the Empty The Bench Podcast Network, which airs Tuesday nights at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT. A Chicago suburban native, Bando has been enthralled with MMA since 2006 and has been fortunate to attend some of the most high-profile events in the sport's history, both as a fan and media member, including UFC 264, Bellator 297 and Kayla Harrison's PFL MMA debut. He is excited to take the next step in his combat sports writing journey and looks forward to continuing his following of the fight game for years to come. Bando can be reached via email at zainbando99@gmail.com or by social media @zainbando99

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