Alexander Volkanovski is making his highly anticipated comeback to the octagon this weekend after more than a year away.
He has the opportunity to etch his name further into UFC history by securing a victory in his upcoming Miami bout against Diego Lopes.
The Australian fighter is aiming to become a two-time featherweight champion in the headline event of UFC 314 early Sunday morning.
Following recent defeats to Islam Makhachev and Ilia Topuria, many have questioned his chances of reclaiming the 145lbs title.
However, an intriguing undefeated record is also weighing on the minds of many MMA observers when considering the outcome of this weekend`s main event.
Historically, fighters in UFC`s lower men`s weight divisions (below welterweight) have consistently LOST title fights when competing at 35 years of age or older.
In total, sixteen fighters in the flyweight, bantamweight, featherweight, and lightweight divisions have entered title fights at 35 or older.
Remarkably, all sixteen have been unsuccessful in their bids to capture UFC gold.
Volkanovski, at 36 years old, is already familiar with this championship curse prevalent in the lighter weight classes.
He has experienced this phenomenon twice recently: first in his lightweight title rematch with Makhachev, and then in his subsequent loss of the featherweight title to Topuria.
Despite the odds, Volkanovski is embracing the challenge of defying this long-standing trend and further solidifying his legacy as perhaps the greatest featherweight fighter ever.
He commented, “This is the ultimate achievement. Consider my current situation. I`ve never faced this before, have I?”
“I`m coming back after a significant break. I`m coming off two losses. So, without a doubt, this is the most significant fight of my career.”
“It truly is the biggest fight of my career. And, you know, people might think I`ve already accomplished enough.”
“But I disagree; I believe I can achieve much more. And it all begins this weekend, starting Saturday, with this new title reign.”
“When you consider legacy, it doesn`t get much bigger than this.”
“The comeback will be legendary.”
“This is the stuff of stories, the kind that inspires books and movies. And we`re going to make it happen this Saturday night.”
Elton Marrow 
Gideon Holt