UFC Champion's Callout Sparks Heated Exchange With Conor McGregor

McGregor used the challenge as an opportunity to claim that his greatness transcends weight classes.

Drew Beaupré | May 30, 2023

UFC Champion's Callout Sparks Heated Exchange With Conor McGregor /

UFC Featherweight Champion Alexander Volkanovski drew the attention of Conor McGregor after "The Great" suggested he’d be open to fighting the former two-division champion at lightweight.

Volkanovski is already considered by many fans to be the greatest featherweight in the history of MMA, but it’s easy to forget that it was at 145 lbs. where McGregor initially rocketed to stardom in the UFC. The "Notorious” hasn’t fought at that weight since knocking out José Aldo in 2015, but a recent post from ESPN MMA prompted Volkanovski to suggest that a fight between the two could still be a possibility.

Let’s do it at Lightweight 🧨 https://t.co/NhWDOJRAyx
— Alex Volkanovski (@alexvolkanovski) May 30, 2023

"Let's do it at Lightweight," Volkanovski suggested.

“The Great” did move up to 155 lbs. for his most recent bout when he challenged UFC Lightweight Champion Islam Makhachev, but once McGregor saw the Australian’s tweet he took it as an opportunity to declare his superiority over seemingly every other fighter on the UFC roster.

"The ufc p4p number 1 (ye right) needs weighing scales and specific divisions to compete against me. So who's really who and what's what? The bmf title, the baddest jackasses in the sauna title. Little bums. Little one division, never champion bums! Nothin bad about ya's!" McGregor responded.

Volkanovski responded to McGregor’s lengthy retort with a simple declaration that he’d face the Irishman under any circumstances, and The "Notorious” didn’t take too kindly to the way the UFC’s featherweight champion chose to frame things.

Anytime. Anywhere. Any weight! https://t.co/OXRsD60FeD
— Alex Volkanovski (@alexvolkanovski) May 30, 2023

"Anytime. Anywhere. Any weight!" Volkanovski declared.

"Then why ask for 155? Also, that is my saying." McGregor answered.

Although he’s only competed at featherweight and lightweight in the UFC, Volkanovski regularly took on significantly larger opponents early in his career. McGregor ultimately ended up deleting his tweets from the exchange, but not before “The Great” got the last word on the matter.

Yeah you say it, but I did it. I’ve fought at Middleweight, Welterweight, lightweight and Featherweight. https://t.co/VYSmGxfHaS
— Alex Volkanovski (@alexvolkanovski) May 30, 2023

"Yeah you say it, but I did it. I've fought at Middleweight, Welterweight, lightweight and featherweight," Volkanovski said.

As much as a matchup between the two would no doubt command the attention of MMA fans across the world, Volkanovski already has his next title defense booked and will take on interim UFC Featherweight Champion Yair Rodriguez in the main event of UFC 290 in July.

McGregor is expected to meet his opposing coach on The Ultimate Fighter, Michael Chandler, at some point before the end of this year, but that fight still hasn’t been officially booked by the UFC and will hopefully be announced at some point during the airing of TUF.

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Published May 30, 2023