Alexander Volkanovski says there's an "eight out of ten" possibility that he will be present in Abu Dhabi as a short-notice replacement for Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev at UFC 280

After a shutout performance by Alexander Volkanovski against long-time adversary Max Holloway at UFC 276, the Australian declared he needed a new challenge. The waters at featherweight have become stagnant, so Volkanovski is keen to test himself in the rapids of the lightweight division.

Volkanovski went on to call for the winner of the Charles Oliveira vs. Islam Makhachev title fight, which is set to take place in October. Oliveira is stepping into enemy territory for another chance at the lightweight belt — the fight will be happening in Abu Dhabi. Volkanovski hopes that his hand injury heals in time so he could be a potential emergency replacement.

Volkanovski was interviewed by Oscar Willis of The MacLife, who asked the champion what the likelihood of him being in Abu Dhabi was. The champ responded by saying:

"The likelihood out of 10? I would say 8/10"

Alexander Volkanovski is fighting at the peak of his prime right now, and he is looking to acquire a new belt before the end of the year. Living up to his nickname, Alexander 'The Great' Volkanovski has conquered the landscape at 145 pounds and is looking to expand his empire northwards towards lightweight.

Watch the full-interview with TheMacLife below:

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Alexander Volkanovski defends teammate Israel Adesanya over UFC 276 performance

Alexander Volkanovski recently appeared on The MMA Hour with Ariel Helwani, and was asked if he felt the criticism Israel Adesanya had been receiving after his fight with Jared Cannonier was unfair.

Volkanovski replied with the following:

"People need to understand, when someone only has a puncher's chance and that is all their looking for. C'mon man, why does the champion have to take all the risks. Why does he have to come forward?"

It is worth pointing out that Adesanya both threw and landed more strikes in the fight against Cannonier, which further emphasizes Volkanovski's point. City Kickboxing appears to be a close-knit unit, so Volkanovski is keen to stick up for his teammates.

The featherweight champion recognizes he has been fortunate that his opponents of late have all been willing step forward and make something happen.

During the interview, Volkanovski said:

"I've been lucky enough with Max, he is going to try and make something happen. You know, same as Ortega, same as Zombie!"

This fortune has allowed Volkanovski's fights to avoid being plagued by conversations revolving around boring performances. At the level he's fighting at right now, Volkanovski's performance would be exciting regardless of opponent.

Watch 'The Great's' appearance on The MMA Hour below (starting at 4:10:15):