This was certainly the case after Lerone Murphy knocked Aaron Pico out cold in the first round with a devastating spinning elbow. Along with immediately receiving praise from Dana White, Murphy’s win also attracted the attention of Volkanovski, who appeared to zero in on the undefeated Brit as his next challenger.

The last UFC pay-per-view event of the summer produced a new champion and exciting opportunities for more fireworks to end 2025.

Alexander Volkanovski drops a subtle hint about who truly deserves the next UFC title shot, sparking debate and fan speculation online.

Carlos Prates landed a savage spinning elbow knockout win over Geoff Neal at UFC 319. In the very next fight, Murphy connected with the same scary strike to put Pico to sleep and make his case for a 145lb title shot. Volkanovski’s immediate reaction to the sickening finish suggests the Englishman is next in line.

But Volkanovski is an optimist; if he’s really not, he plays a convincing one on TV. Barely a fight camp to speak of? “I’m so fresh because I didn’t have to worry about a fight camp.

UFC featherweight champion Alexander Volkanovski warns Aaron Pico that he's a different level. Pico (13-4 MMA, 0-0 UFC) said he's confident that he has the skillset to knock out Volkanovski (27-5 MMA, 14-4 UFC), and that the champion has never faced anyone with his wrestling caliber.