Ranking the 4 Best Opponents for Alexander Volkanovski After UFC 325 Win

Alexander Volkanovski is clearly not done yet.

The Australian has long been considered one of the best fighters of this generation, thanks in large part to his incredible first run as UFC featherweight champion. However, after a pair of losses to Islam Makhachev at lightweight and a subsequent title loss to Ilia Topuria back down at featherweight, there was reason to assume the end of his legendary career was fast approaching.

Not so, it seems.

Last May, after taking a well-deserved break from competition, Volkanovski returned to reclaim the vacant featherweight title with a decision defeat of the dangerous Diego Lopes. Then, at this past Saturday's UFC 325 card in Sydney, he picked up an even more impressive decision defeat over the same man. There's a lot of room for debate as to whether the rematch needed to happen, but regardless, it affirmed that even at 37, Volkanovski is still at the height of his powers.

The big question now is what's next for him. There are multiple dangerous contenders angling for the next shot at the UFC featherweight title. Who actually gets the opportunity, however, is a mystery. There are a few obvious frontrunners but, as this past weekend's Volkanovski vs. Lopes rematched proved, the UFC matchmakers can be pretty unpredictable at times.

Here are the four options they're most likely to choose from, ranked from worst to best.

4. Jean Silva

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Brazilian finisher Jean Silva has been on the cusp of featherweight title contention for the last year or so, but so far, hasn't gotten the opportunity. That's due primarily to a stoppage loss to Diego Lopes last year, which derailed his momentum pretty significantly. However, he has since rebounded with a hard-fought decision win over Arnold Allen, and now finds himself in the running for a title opportunity again.

On paper, he's a fairly interesting challenge for Volkanovski, as a vicious puncher with an underrated ground game. Those tools make him a dangerous opponent for just about anybody. Then again, Volkanovski has seen just about everything at this stage of his career—from knockout punchers to world-class submission specialists—so it's unlikely Silva would enter the Octagon as anything less than a big underdog.

Again, he's also just 1-1 in his last two. That's not the kind of run that typically sets up a title shot—unless you're Lopes, apparently.

It wouldn't be a total atrocity if Silva gets the opportunity next, but it's definitely the least desirable of the current options. Another impressive win or two, of course, would completely change that.

3. Aljamain Sterling

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Aljamain Sterling achieved his best results at bantamweight, capturing the division's title, and defending it against solid opposition in Petr Yan, Henry Cejudo and TJ Dillashaw before relinquishing it to Sean O'Malley. After his title loss to O'Malley, he decided he'd had enough of the cut to 135 pounds, and made a long expected move up to featherweight.

Sterling has had solid results in his new division. In his first fight in the weight class, he picked up a lopsided decision win over Calvin Kattar. After that, he suffered a close decision loss to Movsar Evloev, but has since rebounded with another decision win over former title challenger Brian Ortega.

Much like Jean Silva, his 1-1 record in his last two fights definitely dampens the appeal of his getting a shot at featherweight gold. However, unlike Silva, he has one of the best resumes in the history of the lower weight classes, which adds quite a bit of credence to his claim.

Sterling would definitely be fighting an uphill battle against Volkanovski, who is the far better striker and at least as good of a grappler. However, it's always cool to see two fighters who achieved so much go at it.

It's not the perfect choice for Volkanovski's next fight, but not a terrible one either.

2. Lerone Murphy

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England's Lerone Murphy has a stronger claim to a featherweight title shot than almost anybody. The Brit is undefeated at 17-0-1, and holds wins over a number of high-level opponents, notably Edson Barboza, Dan Ige and Josh Emmett. His last fight, a clash with debuting Bellator export Aaron Pico, represented a slight step down in competition, but he made up for that by delivering the most stylish victory of his career: a brutal, spinning elbow knockout.

Unlike most featherweights in the UFC, Murphy seemingly has a reasonable shot at beating Volkanovski. Like the champion, he can grapple and strike very well, and as he proved against Pico, he has serious stopping power when he really lets loose. That's not to say he'd be a favorite against the champ, but he is certainly a credible challenge who has more than earned the opportunity.

The only reason he's not getting the top spot on this list is because there's somebody else who deserves the chance ever-so-slightly more.

1. Movsar Evloev

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Movsar Evloev may not be the most exciting fighter in the world, but nobody deserves a featherweight title shot more than him. The Russian is a staggering 19-0, with recent wins over Aljamain Sterling, Arnold Allen, Diego Lopes, and Dan Ige. If the UFC is really about the best fighting the best—which recent matchmaking has certainly called into question—he is the man who should be fighting Volkanovski next.

Unfortunately, he seems to have fallen into the bad graces of UFC matchmakers. Thus far, there has been little more than a whisper of his receiving a title shot, or even a No. 1 contender fight. That's probably because he relies on suffocating grappling to win his fights, which equates to a low finish rate and some somewhat tedious viewing. However, that grappling skill is exactly what makes him so good. At his best, he drowns people on the mat.

Volkanovski has beaten many high-level grapplers before—notably Chad Mendes, Brian Ortega, and Lopes. However, the only fighter he's fought with a style even remotely similar to Evloev's is Islam Makhachev, and neither of the Aussie's meetings with that particular Russian went according to plan.

In other words, Evloev has both earned the opportunity to fight for gold, and is skilled enough that he might actually win it—even against a wizard like Volkanovski. Sure, it would be nice if he had a few more finishes on his resume to strengthen his claim, but there is no question he should be the next man in line for a title shot.